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Double Indemnity Movie Review

Double Indemnity is a 1944 noir film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. It is one of the best movies of all time.

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“Suddenly it came over me that everything would go wrong“

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A Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator. Released in 1944 to solid box office but weak awards record (it lost all seven of its Oscar nominations), the movie had its detractors back then, but as is the case with most true greats, it only got better with time. It has aged like fine wine and it is now rightfully regarded as the quintessential noir picture and one of the best movies of all time. It is in my personal top ten list, sitting in at ninth place.

The movie is told in that classic 1940s flashback style – the beginning is the ending and the huge middle part is set in the past, constituting one of the best executed flashback structures ever. The fact that we know it will end in the protagonist’s confession did not hurt the film’s unpredictability as the twists and turns are still just as exciting as if they were filmed within the regular structure.

The dialogue is another highlight. Full of slangs and innuendos, this script is one of the best-written in the history of Hollywood. Each and every line of dialogue matters here, both for characterization and for the story purposes. The playful yet sinister nature of the dialogue made for a versatile tone to the movie that really worked and set it apart from other noir films.

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The acting is fabulous. All three of these stars probably delivered their career-best work in this classic. Barbara Stanwyck is immensely charismatic, intriguing and simply iconic. She deftly handled the character’s allure and danger mixed with vulnerability and passion. Phyllis Dietrichson just might be the ultimate femme fatale figure, the one that inspired all future ones in her wake. The movie treating their final encounter in an ambiguous instead of straightforward fashion elevated this role from a full-on villain to a more fascinating, human woman.

Fred MacMurray has also rarely been better, if ever. Walter Neff is an interesting protagonist. He is at first portrayed as deeply sympathetic and easily swayed by his lover, but eventually he becomes just as horrible as she is, perhaps even more inexcusable. His character is a fascinating one as he is also not all that transparent in intentions and thoughts. The second half made him much more complex than you’d think while MacMurray excelled not only at Walter’s physical presence, but especially in his powerful, emotionally charged narration throughout.

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Another standout is Edward G. Robinson. He has always been a crime genre staple, but he has never been as memorable or as impactful as he was in the role of Barton Keyes. He brought the necessary heart and soul to an otherwise exceedingly cold movie and his friendship with the protagonist is one of the best in Hollywood history. Their final scene together was very moving while their previous dynamic was consistently suspenseful. The Academy should be ashamed of themselves for not having nominated him for best supporting actor.

Visually, Double Indemnity is also impeccable. The black-and-white cinematography is both gorgeous and fittingly moody in its sinister shadows and foggy landscapes. The couple of action sequences that are there are incredibly well executed. The film’s costumes are superb with Stanwyck’s glasses being iconic. The score by Miklos Rosza is classy and fittingly eerie, further elevating the suspense.

The directing from Billy Wilder is brilliant. This is his finest feature of them all, which says a lot as he is one of the greatest and most versatile of the Hollywood directors. The pacing and editing are top-notch, leading to one of the most riveting pictures from this decade. The film flies by how engaging it is. This is the ultimate noir picture as it introduced and perfect all the staple elements of this classic Hollywood genre – a femme fatale, a framing device, narration, dark mood, black-and-white cinematography, detective work. All of it is there and in top form. It’s just a brilliantly crafted and executed film in its every single scene.

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