Review of Double Indemnity (1973) by Chris O — 31 Mar 2011

Double Indemnity was co-written and directed by the extremely talented filmmaker, Billy Wilder. It starred Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. MacMurray plays an insurance agent, Walter Neff. Stanwyck is Phyllis Dietrichson. These two characters get involved in murdering her husband and making it look like an accidental death so she can get twice as much money off of the insurance policy. This film is told in flashbacks, as it starts with Neff recording his confession for his co-worker Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson). Neff then becomes the narrator for the rest of the film through extended flashbacks. Keyes thinks something is strange and that the death, might not have been accidental. At this point there are plot twists galore. Double Indemnity was incredibly well made. The two leads had great chemistry with one other, and MacMurray was great as an accomplice to murder, a type of role he was certainly not known for. The black and white cinematography was beautiful, with dim lighting and lots of shadows, just to make the genre a little bit more obvious to everyone who watched. I loved this film and was thoroughly entertained the entire time. I would recommend this one as well for those interested in seeing one of the best American films of all time. I've only seen it once, but I assume it will only get better. 4 out of 4 stars.

-Joseph Sbrilli.