Review of Double Indemnity (1944) by Shane S — 22 Sep 2010

Stands as one of the most intriguing and sexy stories about murder ever conceived, an ode to the art of domestic crime. The breed of movie that would later be labeled film noir had already been established by 1944, but when Billy Wilder came along he unleashed for the first time a few of the staples we now recognize as essential for the genre- most importantly the noir female.

Barbara Stanwyck's performance is simply brilliant; it is both underplayed and overplayed, an execution in excess and subtlety. When she collides with Fred MacMurray, an actor who was previously only a face for light comedy films, there is an electric chemistry that is unique to the two and which couldn't ever be duplicated by another pair.

Wilder was a relatively new face in Hollywood, and this was a risky, make-or-break project that had the industry buzzing from conception day one. Caine's novel translates beautifully (better, actually) to the silver screen.

The rapid-fire dialogue has the speed of Wilder's comedies yet maintains the dangerous undertones of co-writer Raymond Chandler's sense for tension. The film is a miraculous collaboration that flew in the face of the censor board (they said it could never be done!) and changed the art of shadows forever.