Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity is quite possibly the best film ever made from an insurance term.  You might be justified in arguing that the competition isn't exactly stiff (unless someone made a thriller called "Water Damage: The Movie" and I missed it), but let's not pick nits.  Double Indemnity is a quintessential noir from the start of the film to the very last instant.

Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) is an insurance salesman, and a damn good one, to boot.  When trying to renew an expiring car insurance policy, Walter meets the wife of his insurance holder, Phyllis (Barbara Stanwyck).  She makes quite the first impression, clad in only a bathrobe.  Why, you can almost see her knees!  Scandalous!

In the words of Yakko Warner, "Hellooooooo, nurse!"

There's really no reason for her to invite a strange man into her home, but that's what Phyllis does.  She and Walter engage in some harmless flirting for a while, until Phyllis finally reveals her motive.  She asks if there is a way to insure her husband's life without him knowing.  Realizing that unwittingly insured men are usually murdered by their benefactors, Walter more or less walks out in a huff, wanting nothing to do with the dirty business.  He's only human, though.  More specifically, he's only male; when Phyllis comes to his apartment and throws herself at him, Walter quickly agrees to mastermind a plot to murder her husband.  With his knowledge of the insurance claim business and her...um...what exactly does she bring to the table?... her love of murder (maybe?), this should be the perfect crime.

Does this look like MacMurray performing ventriloquism with a Stanwyck puppet?  No?  It's just me, then.

The casting of Fred MacMurray was an unusual choice in 1944; this was the first time he ever played anything other than a typical nice guy character.  For being his first time as a bad guy, I thought MacMurray did a very good job.  He was likable as a salesman, but his passion and naivety were logical extensions of his character.  Barbara Stanwyck was excellent as Double Indemnity's femme fatale.  Her job was to play an evil, manipulative bitch, and boy does she do good work.  I think what I liked best about her performance is how well Stanwyck hinted at Phyllis being...I don't know if "cheap" is the right word, but it's the best I can come up with right now.  Her gaudy wig, ill-fitting anklet, and dramatic gestures made it seem as though Phyllis had assumed a fictional persona in her own life; in her final showdown with Walter, her icy core shines through, and it is a treat.  The only other actor of consequence in the film is the legendary character actor Edward G. Robinson.  I haven't seen much of Robinson's early work, but I like seeing him play wickedly smart characters like he does here.  I think the script focuses too much on his "little man," but he was good as a thick-skinned character that secretly had a big heart.

MacMurray, seriously contemplating a sloppy kiss with Robinson.

I can't believe that this is the only Billy Wilder-directed movie I have seen.  Given his impressive list of credits, I suppose that's a shame on me, but I've seen (and loved) this movie a few times and never thought to look up Wilder's other credits.  Huh.  Wilder's style isn't too fancy --- aside from a few shots with extreme lighting, like the famous "venetian blind" shots --- but he keeps things interesting by maintaining an excellent pace.  It's not that he didn't capture some iconic shots, either; it just wasn't his focus. 

Such a great shot!

Every scene in Double Indemnity works and affects the story at large; while it may not be as stylized as other film noirs, it's hard to argue with a tightly scripted and shot movie.  Wilder got impressive performances from his two leads (who, in an odd coincidence, were Hollywood's highest-paid male and female actors at the time), even though neither was probably very comfortable with the idea of being so unlikable.  Wilder also co-wrote the screenplay with author Raymond Chandler.  The two men adopted James M. Cain's (the author of The Postman Always Rings Twice) novel, but Chandler wound up rewriting most of the dialogue and Wilder had to find ways around Hays Code; in the end, the film is very, very different from the book.  Personally, I prefer the film, especially with Chandler's crackling dialogue.

Double Indemnity is a classic film, and with good reason.  The acting and directing are great, the writing is sharp, and the story draws you in.  There are a few moments when the dialogue gets a little too unbelievable (Walter and Phyllis' car/sex banter, for example) and I'm not a big fan of narrative bookends on principle, but these flaws are so minute that they just add to the charm of this film.  Part of me wants to give it a perfect "10" rating, because it is fantastic, but I'm going to lowball it this time because it is missing something.  I'm not sure what, exactly, but I never rewind the film to re-watch a scene and I never quote the script.  It's damn good, but not quite one of my favorites.