Monday, 1 July 2013

Double Indemnity (1944) review



http://www.razorfine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/double-indemnity-blu-ray1.jpgHailed by many as the greatest Film-Noir of all time, I was definitely in need of checking out Double Indemnity. As someone who is growing a love for classic films, I decided not to have any sort of high expectations and thankfully, Double Indemnity is not only an intriguing film but it is a film as close to perfect as possible. It does something interesting that most films at the time of its release would never have done, which is reveal the big “secret” within the opening minutes hence allowing the audience to be fully invested within the characters and in order for them to effectively enjoy the film that much more.

Fred MacMurray plays a salesman named Walter Neff who recounts the events leading to the death of Mr Dietrichson, as he meets Ms Dietrichson and forms a strange affair with her. The strange affair leads to the seductive Phyllis Dietrichson persuading Walter to join her in a scheme to kill her husband and in order to receive an indemnity. Realizing that there is indeed ‘a double indemnity’ if killed on a train, they agree to do so but an insurance manager, Keyes, shows his suspicion about the death of Mr Dietrichson and attempts to solve the crime.

Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity is one of the greatest films from the Golden Age of cinema, featuring fantastic performances by Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck, who resemble and embody the characters. Barbara is shown as a rather lifeless woman, yet seductive especially how she initially acts around Neff. Walter is portrayed as a rather wise and cunning man, as portrayed at the end of the film. Keyes, played by Edward Robinson was truly fantastic in his role as he truly embodies every bit of characterization of Keyes. He outsmarts those around him, his determination to solve the death is evident and his inability to be fooled is quite easily evident.

The story is fantastic, complex and deeply layered giving each character enough depth, even Mr Dietrichson’s daughter. Each character is still easy to understand and their motivations are clear. The story telling structure is very clever and how the story unfolds is even better. The cinematography is gorgeous, the lighting often stands out.

It isn’t just a crime/drama tale. It has all the essentials for a masterpiece with an ability to mix in various genres such as thriller and romance. With this, Wilder accomplishes far more than he otherwise would have. A near perfect film that exceeds in every department of film making. 

Grade- 10/10

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