Simply the best film noir movie! Double Indemnity
Fan of Superb Productions, Lover of quirky, unique films, movie guru, DVD Collector, cult film connoisseur, admirer of great storytelling
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MAY
16
2008
Double Indemnity —
Double Indemnity (1944)This is a product of the fertile genius of director Billy Wilder, who had a string of hits in multiple movie genres. Double Indemnity is part of the film noir genre, and many aficionados, including me, say it's the best.
Film noir traces its roots to the WWII era and the detective novels by Dashiell Hammett with the first recognized example being The Maltese Falcon, starring Humphrey Bogart. Soon after, novels by Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain were adapted to the screen and their downbeat, pessimistic viewpoints also labeled them as noir. The action is usually urban and takes place mostly at night, and if it's raining, why that helps, too. Anything to make a film more eerie and depressing will be welcome.
Film noir plotting typically concerns a lazy guy seeking something for nothing. He is willing to work harder at stealing something than to make an honest living. There is always an element of fate waiting in the wings to smash the miscreant, and one of fate's favorite tools is the femme fatale, a woman who eggs the unlucky sap on to his fate promisiing, but never delivering. She is out for numero uno, also.
Double Indemnity stars a couple of actors you may know better from TV - Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. Make no mistake, these are no TV characters but driven criminal types who will stop at nothing until they get their ill gotten gains.
Fred MacMurray starts out as an insurance agent, trying to get Stanwyck's husband to renew his car insurance, but when Phyllis (Stanwyck) sees him, she hatches a plot to get him to sign a life insurance policy paying double indemnity if he is killed by accident. The easily led Fred goes right along with the plan, but they begin to discover it is easier to plan a killing than to carry it out. When they finally get the bugs worked out, who pops up but pesky insurance investigator Barton Keyes (Edward G Robinson). Robinson does a career performance as they guy who drives the two criminals crazy long before the fatal confrontation.
The elements of Double Indemnity are all perfection itself with a superior story by James M Cain, direction by Billy Wilder, acting by the named individuals, and dialog that rivals anything out there for snappiness and double entendres. A superb Miklos Rozsa score ties everything together in one neat bundle with a pink ribbon.
The Universal DVD is a two disk set and the first disk includes a perfect copy of the 1944 black and white film in 1.33:1 theatrical format with a pair of commentary tracks. The extra disk has an hour long feature hosted by Robert Osborne of TCM in which he discusses the lore behind the movie. There is a 37 minute feature Shadows of Suspense - a primer on film noir; and a TV version of Double Indemnity that only makes the original look that much better. A five star pick!
Double Indemnity is recommended by GeorgeChabot
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Film Noir
Best Classic Movie Turner Classic Movies Bogart Wednesday, Holiday Movie Thursday December 16 & 17 2009
5.00 overall from 1 review
5.00 overall from 1 review
Double Indemnity
5.00 overall from 1 review
from $10 at 10 merchants
5.00 overall from 1 review
from $10 at 10 merchants
