'Double Indemnity' Review

I wrote six pages of notes for this review, so this post will most definitely be more than 300 words.

Please bear with me, Toth.

When searching for film noirs, Double Indemnity will most likely be at the top of the list. In this 1944 classic, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), works for an insurance company and gets tangled in an arrangement with Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck). Mrs. Dietrichson plans to kill her husband, Mr. Dietrichson (Tom Powers) and live off the money from the illegal accidental death claim (which is also referred to as "double indemnity"). Although Neff and Mrs. Dietrichson are romantically involved, their relationship begins and ends deadly with their plan for murder. When the film comes close to its end, the couple's perfect plan is revealed to have errors and the truth is unveiled by close sources to the murderous couple.

While the film was a great start for the course and there were many things that could be said about it, there are a few things in particular that I wanted to point out. In less than the first 10 minutes of Double Indemnity, Neff reveals himself as the mastermind of Mr. Dietrichson’s “accidental” death and explains his reasoning for his actions. He tells the entire story to his colleague and confidant, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), with the use of flashbacks and voice-over. This is an important aspect in the film, because it made me wonder, what was the director and screenwriter, Billy Wilder’s point of having Neff reveal everything to the audience and Keyes, in the beginning instead of having to find out at the end of the film? I came to the conclusion that it allows the audience and Keyes (in this case he is somewhat like the audience: confused and shocked) to sympathize with Neff’s characterization. Neff is, in the beginning of the film, in a state of weakness, with his injury and desperation. He without hesitation, goes straight to his office to leave a message to Keyes, telling him the truth, after he commits his last act, something that adds to the trouble that he is already in.

Double Indemnity also contains one motif that only stood out to me until the very end of the film. Neff and Keyes have the type of friendship that is filled with admiration, brotherly love, and humor; humor being the main aspect. Whenever Keyes took out a cigarette to smoke, he would never have a match to light it. Therefore, Neff would always be right next to him, ready to light his cigarette with one of his own matches. I believe Neff even made a remarked that Keyes should carry his own matches, but Keyes claimed he didn't have to, because he had Neff do it for him. I found this interaction between the two to be completely genuine and calming because it was the one thing that kept their minds off of reality, the major situation that they were dealing with on separate occasions. In the very last scene, Neff is at his most weakest point and the only person there for him is Keyes. When Neff, who is lying on the floor in light clothing, about to take what could possibly be his last cigarette; Keyes walks over to him, wearing a dark suit appearing like death. However, this time the roles are reversed and Keyes is the one to light Neff’s cigarette.

The cigarette and match motif came to light in the very end to me, mostly because I realized that in this moment, Keyes was finally the “tall man” and Neff was “small”. Keyes tend to be the man to be unsure and distracted throughout the film and “so close” to solving a situation, whilst Neff would be very precise and know “move-by-move” with everything until everything goes wrong at the end. The motif highlights that Neff and Keyes switch roles and that one is leaning on the other for guidance, something that Neff never needed before.

Great quotes that stood out in Double Indemnity:

"Wolf on a phony claim."

"...You said it was a suicide. Check. You said it was murder... Check."

"They keep the liquor cabinet locked" "It's okay, I keep my own key."

"She's a tramp from a long line of tramps."

"How could I have known that all along, murder smelt like honeysuckle?"