Review of Double Indemnity (1973) by Edd B — 18 Jan 2009

I can think of few movies that I have ever seen or stories that I've ever heard that had me on the edge of my seat as "Double Indemnity" did. Billy Wilder's brilliant piece of cinema is considered a film noir staple and for very good reason. As the viewer, I was totally captivated by the amazing plot as its twists and turns revealed themselves.

The story follows Walter Neff (MacMurray), who is an insurance salesman, and goes to call on one of his clients about the renewal of a policy. He instead finds the client's wife, Phyllis (Stanwyck), who is a devilish beauty and the archetypal "femme fatale." The two keep in contact after their encounter and eventually plan the murder of her husband in order to collect the insurance money from a recently-signed policy. The seemingly perfect plan turns out to not be so perfect, as Neff's co-worker, Keyes (Robinson), begins to unravel it through his expertise and intuition.

"Double Indemnity" is a fast-paced thriller that would still entertain even today's audiences, who seem to be dumbed down by special effects and cheap thrills. Its suspense is as timeless as it is breathtaking. As soon as you seem to get comfortable with where you think the plot is going, another twist will take the story in a completely different direction. You will be kept wondering if they are going to get away with it and what exactly the characters are thinking the whole time.

The film is very discreet in its character development, and there is definitely room left for audience interpretation of their true motives. We are never sure of everything that is going on, but the uncertainty is half the fun. Billy Wilder was a genius of his craft, made explicitly evident by this flawless picture. The film's raw, blunt presentation as well as its storytelling method (a voiceover from Neff throughout) has been countlessly imitated (almost becoming a cliche of the genre) proving that it is truly a pioneering work. This should be an essential for any movie fan.