Characteristics Found In Films - Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944)

Double Indemnity's  Poster (1944)

The Male Protagonist

The male protagonist is Walter Neff. He is a successful experienced insurance salesman. His characteristic is hard-boiled repartee uses as a mode of playful combat for example when he first time meet Phyllis at her house, he used verbal flirting which containing double meaning in the dialogue but Phyllis rejected him. He was an attentive person, from the plan that he had planned for Phyllis shows that he is a careful person. He had made moral decision, for example at last when he got shot by Phyllis and he killed Phyllis, but he decided to record the truth, how was the plan from the beginning until the end. At last, He was arrested by cops.

Walter decided to record the truth, how was the plan from the beginning until the end. Double Indemnity (1944), scene at 00.05.54.

The Femme Fatale

Femme Fatale from this film was Phyllis Dietrichson. She is manipulative, after the first time met Walter and indirectly rejected him, the second meeting she changes the date that Walter suppose to meet her husband, Mr Dietrichson to sign for the renewal of car insurance, but she dates Walter at the time when no one is at home. She seduces him and pretends that she is someone who is pity, innocent and loneliness. She tries to gain a good impression from Walter to accomplish her goals. She is treacherous and cruel. For instance, she conspires with Walter to murder her husband at the train in order to get the double indemnity from the insurance company. At the end of the film, she tries to kill Walter but fails. She got killed by Walter instead.

Femme Fatale in Double Indemnity (1944)

The "Investigator"

From the film Double Indemnity, Barton Keyes plays a tenaciously, resolute investigator character. He plays 'detective' roles in this film because he always trying to find out the truth behind the claims to avoid phony claims. He said his "Little Man" inside his body will tell him if there are some phony claims. Mrs. Dietrichson wants to claim double indemnity because of her husband's death but Keyes doubt that Mr. Dietrichson does not die in suicide, accident, but murdered. The murderer he suspected is Nino (Mr. Dietrichson's daughter's boyfriend). He trusts Walter so he chooses to continue investigate the cases until Walter confessed and record the truth for Keyes. This example proof the personality of Keyes in the film. 

Barton Keyes, the dogged, determined investigator. Double Indemnity (1944)

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This film uses lots of German Expressionism techniques. The cinematography reinforces the darkness in the plot and theme. When Walter kills Mr. Dietrichson in the car, the setting is dark and camera has a close up on Mrs. Dietrichson's face expression. Filmmaker uses close up is to let the audiences understand that Mrs. Dietrichson not only is an accomplice in the criminal, she is also a cruel and ruthless person, and she does not love her husband. The filmmaker also uses dolly-in and dissolve from the past back to the storytelling by Walter. Other than that, filmmaker uses intense music to make the audience feel more invest into the film such as when Phyllis and Walter argue at the market. In this film, long and sharp shadows as well as inky blackness often appear in the screen. For example, almost the end of the film, Walter going to meets Phyllis in her house. When Walter opens the door, long and sharp shadow appears on the wall, it is using low-key lighting so the shadow will shown in the film clearly. 

Film noir uses lots of German Expressionism techniques. Double Indemnity(1944)

 

From left Femme Fatale, male protagonist and 'Detective' in Film Noir. Double Indemnity (1944)

Thus, from this film it plays the traditional roles in film noir, storyline focus on femme fatale and male protagonist. Femme fatale uses sexual attractiveness and ruthless cunning to manipulate the male protagonist in order to gain money and involve in criminal. In this film, femme fatale died at the end of the story. In film noir, mostly femme fatale will die.