Double Indemnity (1944) User Reviews

A Noir Classic

[gftbiloxi · 8/10 · 3 May 2005]

Author James M. Cain virtually created a new genre with his extra-tough, sin-blackened, and sex-drenched novels--and they were so successful with the public that not even 1940s Hollywood could resist. The result was three of the most famous films of that decade: MILDRED PIERCE, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, and DOUBLE INDEMNITY. Although POSTMAN is probably the better film, INDEMNITY is the most famous--possibly due to the story's truly psychotic edge, which is given full life by Barbara Stanwyck in one of her most celebrated performances.

Like POSTMAN, INDEMNITY offers the story of a married woman who plots with her lover to murder her husband. Given MacMurray's typically "good guy" image, I didn't expect to believe him in the role of Walter Neff in the role of skirt-hungry Walter Neff--but MacMurray's performance is exceptionally good here, and all the more effective because it so completely unexpected. But while MacMurray has most of the screen time, it is really Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson who dominate the film. Stanwyck is truly memorable here, and gives us a woman who seems at once sexed-up and completely frigid, at once completely natural and absolutely artificial. It is a remarkable and often disturbing effect. Robinson, who endured decades of type-casting, is equally good as the blustery, slightly comic, and absolutely honest insurance man whose job it is to ferret out suspicious claims; it is largely due to his performance, which gives the film a moral center, that we are able to buy into the otherwise off-beat performances that drive the action.

This was one of director Billy Wilder's first major hits, and he deserves considerable credit for making the weird elements of the story work as a whole, keeping the film smartly paced, and heaping it up with atmosphere. So influential that its impact would be difficult to over-estimate, DOUBLE INDEMNITY is a touchstone for the entire film noir genre. Recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Absorbing and worthy suspense film about blackmails , killing , corruption and strong intrigue

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 30 June 2015]

Vintage Noir Film with gritty interpretation , atmospheric settings , crackling dialogue throughout and powerhouse filmmaking . This Billy Wilder's first thriller is one of the finest Noir film ever made . A scheming wife (Barbara Stanwyck) lures an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray , though Alan Ladd, George Raft, Brian Donlevy, James Cagney, Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, and Fredric March were all up for the leading role) into helping murder her husband and then declare it an accident . Both of whom concoct a twisted scheme to collect the benefits of a insurance policy . As the hubby's policy contains a clause that states that if the husband's death caused by a moving train the policy pays double face value . The investigator's boss (Edward G. Robinson) , not knowing his colleague is involved in it , suspects murder and sets out to prove it .

This first-rate and entertaining American classic Noir film draws its riveting tale and power from the interaction of finely drawn roles as well as drama , emotion and moody atmosphere . This classic mystery thriller follows James M Cain's book fairly closely otherwise . Twisted film Noir about murder , troubled relationships , treason , dark secrets , including an unforgettable dialog ; being based on the James M Cain's novel , which in turn was based on the true story of Ruth Snyder, the subject of a notorious 1920s murder trial , being screen-written by the prestigious Raymond Chandler and the same Billy Wilder . However , Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler did not get along well while writing this film's script, a process that was apparently filled with arguments . As Billy Wilder didn't really get on with the famous novelist whose constant drinking irritated the director . It packs a good realization , an original script , haunting atmosphere , intriguing events ; for that reason madness and murder prevail . Fred MacMurray is superb as insurance salesman coerced into murder plot and Barbara Stanwick as predatory and alluring Femme Fatale is magnificent . Here his colleague Edward G Robinson is extraordinary and as cool as ever ; he plays as the astute and stubborn investigator , his scenes with Fred MacMurray are awesome and at their best . But Edward G. Robinson's initial reluctance to sign on largely stemmed from the fact he wasn't keen on being demoted to third lead . Good support cast formed by notorious secondaries such as Porter Hall , Tom Powers , Jean Heather , Byron Barr and Fortunio Bonanova . And Raymond Chandler's cameo , this marks the only film appearance of screenwriter and novelist Raymond Chandler .

Exciting as well as complex film , possessing a mysterious and fascinating blend of gripping thriller , serenity , baroque suspense in which especially stands out the portentous performances , evocative cinematography in black and white by John F. Seitz and thrilling musical score by the classic Miklos Rozsa . The motion picture was stunningly directed by the great Billy Wilder , as the American Film Institute ranked this as the #29 Greatest Movie of All Time . The film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards but lost out on the night to Going my way (1944) by Leo McCarey. It got a deep inspiration for other films , it is particularly obvious for ¨Body heat¨ by Lawrence Kasdan with William Hurt , Kathleen Turner and Richard Crenna . Remade for TV in 1954 by Buzz Kulik with Frank Lovejoy , Ray Collins and Laraine Day , and 1973 TV remake of the 1940s classic by Jack Smight with Richard Crenna , Samantha Eggar , and Robert Webber .

It fits together like a watch

[Spondonman · 9/10 · 2 May 2004]

I've now seen this movie 14 times in 25 years, at all times of the year, in all moods, sober or not etc - but always at night. I recorded my copy off TV in 1987 so I can only imagine what a remaster would do for it. With an atmosphere thick enough to cut with a knife it never fails to engross and enchant me, and although it's been dated for 40 years or more still seems relevant and watchable today. TV, answer phones, recordable CD/DVD, memory sticks and the internet have all come between us and yet I can still watch Fred MacMurray speaking into a Dictaphone without a qualm. Who wears a hat in California nowadays? Who buys beer whilst driving! Lift attendants have gone but I can still believe in Charlie working and laughing away in the garage past 11 at night.

Woman and man agree to murder woman's husband but on the way to the cemetery they face grilling by insurance company. I think everything has been said before on the IMDb - by those who think it's one of the best films ever made! To those who simply think the main problem is that it's dated I wish you could see the TV commercials that dug into DI back in '87 - what a hoot - and compare. I've just noticed the print TCM UK is showing in 2005 is lip-synced out, very wobbly Rosza music track, fading and ageing fast - worse than my 1987 video tape (maybe logically). They're supposed to be encouraging people to enjoy the classics but they won't do that with such inferior screening copies. Dear TCM UK, this is an impressive iconic film - it deserves a billion dollar remaster authorised by the Library of Congress, not repeatedly trotting out unimpressive cheap worn dupes to fill those 2 hour slots.

Everything about DI from the acting, production, direction, and music is superbly dignified and is as "close to perfection" as human beings are probably allowed to get with this form of Art - especially with the more limited technology at their disposal in '44. When most films from now are long forgotten and dated DI will still be getting re-runs on TV and art-house cinemas - God and remasters willing - that is the fact of it.

Fortunia Bonanova certainly was fortunate to have appeared in bit parts in 2 of the best films ever made - Citizen Kane the other.

One of the best films noir ever, Double Indemnity communicates with amazing effectiveness the depths of depravity, greed, lust, and betrayal of the seemingly innocent and beautiful.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 10/10 · 8 November 2000]

This is one of the best films of all time, not necessarily because of its story but because of the acting, direction, cinematography, lighting, and just the way that the story itself was told. At the time the film was released, the idea of revealing who the killer was in the opening scene was virtually unheard of, but it ended up being very effective because it allowed the audience to concentrate more on other elements of the film, which was the goal of Billy Wilder, the director. Instead of trying to figure out who the perpetrator was, there is more emphasis on how the crime was pulled off, what mistakes were made during the murder, who betrayed who, how close Barton Keyes (the insurance investigator) was getting to solving the case, and, probably most importantly, what kind of person Walter Neff is and whether or not sympathy should be felt toward him.

Barbara Stanwyck, in one of the most remembered performances of her extensive career, represents (with nearly flawless ease) the cold and ruthless manipulator who has no difficulty in ruining other people's lives in various ways (including death, if necessary) in order to get what she wants. Known in the film community as the `femme fatale,' this is someone who uses her sexual prowess, seductiveness, and emotional detachment to drag an unsuspecting person (generally an interested man) into a scheme from which she is expected to benefit heavily and he is most likely headed for destruction. In these types of films, the man often either finds his life in ruins or ends up dead, as is often (but not always) also the case with the fate of the femme fatale.

Barbara Stanwyck (as Phyllis Dietrichson, the murderous femme fatale in Double Indemnity) and Fred MacMurray (as Walter Neff, her ‘victim'), have amazing chemistry on screen. Their attraction is incredibly well portrayed, and the development of their relationship with each other is so convincing that what happens between them almost seems normal. Besides that, their mutually calculated interaction, although it seems at first like it has been rehearsed endlessly and ultimately brought unconvincingly to the screen, is exactly as it was meant to be, because it represents each character's intentions, even very subtly foreshadowing their future betrayals against each other. Phyllis has gone through every word she ever says to Walter in her head. She has practiced what she wants to say when she brings up the idea of life insurance to Walter in the beginning and she knows what she wants to say whenever they interact with each other because she has been planning for quite some time the prospect of murdering her husband in order to collect his fortune. Walter, conversely, methodically makes amorous advances as though this is something that he does regularly, and then ultimately he also plans out his conversations with Phyllis because he begins to suspect her and is sure to tell her only what he wants her to hear. This seemingly stiff dialogue brilliantly represents Phyllis and Walter's precise (and sinister) intentions, and it's quick pace creates a feeling of urgency and restlessness.

Probably the most fascinating and entertaining actor in the film, Edward G. Robinson, plays Barton Keyes, Walter's friend and employer at the insurance company where he works. Keyes is a very suspicious man who closely investigates the insurance claims which come into the company, having a striking history of accurately isolating fraudulent claims and throwing them out. His handling of Phyllis's (and Walter's, technically) claim and the way that he gets closer and closer to the truth create a great atmosphere of tension and drama.

Double Indemnity is nearly flawless. From the shocking and unexpected beginning to the already known but still surprising end, the audience is held rapt by the excellent performances, the brilliant and imaginative direction, and the flawlessly created atmosphere. This is excellent, excellent filmmaking, and is a classic film that should not be missed.

Movie Heaven, Baby

[jmholmes-73727 · 10/10 · 19 February 2019]

Barbara Stanwyck changed the trajectory of her career with her ruthless, icy performance here. Fred MacMurray, however, would never again allow himself to duplicate anything similar to Walter Neff's troubled, doomed portrayal again on screen. Playing against their dark alliance, it is left to Edward G. Robinson to win the audience over as he struggles to shed light on the insurance fraud and murder. This script should be studied by anyone who plans to write for TV or movies. Note the significant changes Wilder and Chandler made from James Cain's original novel - changes Cain admitted were improvements. Especially worthy of mention is the level of artistry displayed in the final minutes when, after an hour and a half of of bitter nastiness, Wilder gives us just the smallest spoonful of sugar that wraps everything up perfectly. There's almost something criminal when evil is such a treat to watch.

Justifiably At The Top Of Most Film Noir Lists

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 23 December 2005]

This is one of the best-liked classic films of all time and I am among that large group of fans as well.

Few movies have ever had dialog this entertaining.....at least the conversations between Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. I think it's a big appeal to this movie, except to younger folks who look at it as "cheesy."

I read the book, Double Indemnity written by James Cain, and was surprised that the film's snappy dialog was not in it. This is one of the rare times when the movie was far better than the book. That's not a shock after you find out that literary giant Raymond Chandler and Hall Of Fame director Billy Wilder combined to write the screenplay,

For a murder/suspense story, there is very little action, almost none, yet there are no boring lulls. The three main actors - Stanwyck, MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson, are what make this so good.

MacMurray's narration is fun to hear as he tells the story in flashback, from the beginning by dictating into an old Dictaphone to his co-worker Robinson. The latter is almost mesmerizing in his performance, the way he delivers his lines. He can even make a speech about something as boring as insurance and still keep you riveted to the screen.

Stanwyck was no sex symbol (at least to me) but she looked great here in the most seductive of 1940s clothing and, like Robinson, has a distinctive voice and accent that keeps your attention.

This film was the inspiration for the 1980 movie, "Body Heat," starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner. That, too, was a very, very good movie....but not many films are in the class of this one.

Noir at its very best

[purrlgurrl · 10/10 · 13 October 2019]

The best film adaptation of a James M. Cain novel ever made (neither version of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" even comes close). The script, by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler, is flawless. Wilder's direction is masterful. The cast is phenomenal, with Fred McMurray as a smart-talking but naive chump, Edward G. Robinson as a shrewd and relentless insurance investigator, and Barbara Stanwyck (her very best performance ever, IMO) as a scheming wife who wants her inconvenient husband out of the way.

The smartly-written dialogue still snaps and crackles and the suspense has lost none of its edge in the 70-plus years since the film was made. This is as fine a thriller as you'll ever see and a film that truly deserves being called a classic.

An Odd Triangle

[dougdoepke · 24 April 2013]

No need to recap the plot or echo consensus points.

From the minute he sees her slinking down the stairs in that spangled ankle bracelet, he's hooked. Walter Neff's already boarded that long, lonely trolley down the one-way track. Yes indeed, sultry Phyllis appears to be just the ticket he's been looking for. Great noir classic. All in all, Neff should have paid attention to that other member of the oddball triangle. Old man Keyes may be a born cynic, but despite himself, he's a father figure looking for a son to take his place, and warning Neff about the "Margie's" of the world. What he doesn't know is that this "Margie" definitely doesn't drink out of a bottle. What's more, Neff's already chosen to ride with the flashy crowd, get out of that dumpy apartment, and get into Phyllis's vicious little insurance swindle. As Keyes tellingly remarks, "You're not smarter than the rest, Walter, just a little taller." I like to think that Walter finally realizes his folly in that brilliant final scene, even if it is too late. Still, the film's cynical veneer is misleading. Because beneath all the deceits, betrayals, and ironies, lies a lighted match and one of the odder father-son relationships in Hollywood annals.

Some times, when they least expect it.....

[jotix100 · 10/10 · 17 July 2005]

There are occasional times when all the elements come together to make a great film that will stand the passing of time. "Double Indemnity" seems to be an example of this phenomenon.

First, there was a great novel by one of America's best mystery writers, James Cain, who created these characters that seem will live forever in our imagination. Then, the lucky break in getting the right man to direct it, Billy Wilder, a man who knew about how to make a classic out of the material that he adapted with great care and elegance with Raymond Chandler, a man who knew about the genre.

"Double Indemnity" works because it's a story we can relate to. There is a greedy woman trapped in a bad marriage, who sees the opportunity when she encounters an insurance agent who is instantly smitten with her and who has only sex in his mind. The manipulator, Phyllis Dietrichson, doesn't need much to see how Walter desires her. His idea of having her husband sign an insurance policy he knows nothing about, thinking he is doing something else, will prove a fatal flaw in judgment.

Mr. Wilder achieves in this film what others try, with disastrous results. The director, who was working under the old Hays Code, shows so much sex in the film with fully clothed actors, yet one feels the heat exuding from the passion Walter Neff feels for Phyllis. He is a man that will throw everything away because he is blinded by the promise of what his life will be once the husband is out of the picture.

In life, as well as in fiction, there are small and insignificant things that will derail the best laid plans. First, there i Jackson, the man who shouldn't have been smoking at the rear of the train, contemplating the passing landscape. Then, no one counts in the ability of Barton Keys, the man in the agency who has seen it all! Walter and Phyllis didn't take that into consideration and it will backfire on their plan.

We try to make a point to take a look at "Double Indemnity" when it shows on cable from time to time. Barbara Stanwyck makes a magnificent Phyllis. There are no false movements in her performance. Phyllis gets under Walter's skin because she knows where her priorities lie and makes good use of them in order to render Walter helpless under her spell.

Fred McMurray makes a perfect Walter. He is consumed by his passion and he will do anything because of what he perceives will be the reward for doing the crime. Walter Neff was perhaps Mr. McMurray's best creation. He is completely believable and vulnerable.

Edgar G. Robinson, as Barton Keys, makes one of his best performances for the screen. Keys is a man that has seen all the schemes pass by his desk. He is, in a way, Walter's worst nightmare, because working next to Keys, he gets to know how wrong he was in the planning of the crime.

The supporting cast is excellent. Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Tom Powers, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Buonanova and John Philliber are perfect.

The music score of Miklos Rosza gives the film a texture and a dimension that capitalizes on the action it intends to enhance. Also the music of Cesar Franck and Franz Schubert contribute to the atmosphere of the movie. The great cinematography of John Seitz, who will go on to direct films, is another asset in the movie. Edith Head's costumes are absolutely what a woman like Phyllis would wear right down to her ankle bracelet.

This film shows a great man at his best: Billy Wilder!

Guaranteed to Remunerate Your Investment with a Premium...

[Xstal · 9/10 · 12 February 2023]

Walter Neff wants to sell you insurance, in an uncertain world, he wants to give you assurance, if a loved one is lost, for a minimal cost, he can recompense with a small finance. Phyllis Dietrichson likes the idea, of insuring her husband so dear, doesn't want him to know, about all of the dough, she'll receive if his luck disappears. Barton Keyes is a claimant inspector, a shrewd and discerning detector, of fraud and deceit, he'll find out if you cheat, has the stats to deduce the risk factor.

Three outstanding performances in a great piece of filmmaking that perpetually rewards on subsequent visits.

Classic tale of double cross

[gcd70 · 7/10 · 8 March 2010]

Classic tale of double-cross and scheming is done to a nicety. Never mind the fact that the script is formulaic and predictable, and the characters are all selfish and self-serving. Just sit back and enjoy some great acting and smart direction.

Billy Wilder knew exactly how far to stretch this tale of an insurance salesman who fatefully falls for the femme fatale who would spell ruin for him. He knew the strengths and weaknesses, and he let it ride from there.

Fred MacMurray gleefully overplays his stereotype hero guy. He's got the smarts, the looks and he's almost got the dame. As said beauty, Barbara Stanwyck is a must, and few could do this sort of thing better. Cap all this with the dry, witty performance from Edward G. Robinson who lives and breathes insurance claims. He gets all the best lines and devours them.

In a nutshell you have here a must for any 40's film buffs.

Sunday, November 1, 1998 - Astor Theatre

A Superb Noir Film

[The_Experiment_In_Terror · 9/10 · 23 December 2002]

If you are a noir fan then this film is an absolute must see. The screenplay itself is a work of art in its charater construction, plot structure and dialogue which is delievered by an ensemble of first class actors divying up first class performances. Barbra Stanwyck as the deadly, smouldering, scheming Phyllis Dietrichson turns in a performance that is right up there with Mary Astor's Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Fred McMurray delievers a performance of a smart but desperately lovelorn patsy and Edward G. Robinson is perfect in the role of Barton Keyes and just about steals the moment every time he appears on screen.

I personally love a good Noir film and this is right up there with the best of them. Billy Wilder should be proud of this work eventhough the Academy didn't see it fit to reward him for his efforts, however I personally think this film is an absolute winner.

Quintessential Noir With a Few Notable Slow Spots

[Turfseer · 7/10 · 23 August 2023]

In many ways, 'Double Indemnity' stands as the quintessential film noir. The crackling dialogue, a result of director Billy Wilder's collaboration with famed novelist Raymond Chandler, based on James Cain's pulp novel of the same name, coupled with the exceptional noirish cinematography by John Seitz, positions the film deservedly among the all-time great noirs of its era.

However, I'm hesitant to award the film a perfect 10 out of 10 rating without addressing some deficiencies that slightly diminish its overall appeal.

Undoubtedly, 'Double Indemnity' was a groundbreaking and highly controversial film for its time. Based on a murder that occurred in 1920s Queens, New York, the film delves into the sinister plot between a woman and her lover to murder the woman's husband for insurance money.

Initially, the Production Code posed a challenge to the film's creation due to the salacious nature of the story. Even the film's star, Barbara Stanwyck, who portrayed the femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson, expressed reservations about embodying the role of an amoral killer.

Certain critics might have preferred a more glamorous femme fatale, yet Stanwyck's more "ordinary" appearance is, in fact, perfect in capturing the intended note of banality when paired with co-star Fred MacMurray, who takes on the role of Walter Neff, an "average" insurance agent.

However, the banality of their relationship becomes the narrative's Achilles heel. While chemistry occasionally surfaces through the aforementioned dynamic dialogue (notably Phyllis's clever allusion to exceeding the speed limit when Walter first makes sexual advances), the initial interactions between the two mainly revolve around the gradual acceptance of the notion of committing murder. This progression unfolds rather slowly, causing the suspense to truly heighten only when the actual murder transpires.

Fortunately, the inclusion of Edward G. Robinson as Claims Investigator Barton Keyes injects a magnetic force into the film. Keyes, one of Robinson's most iconic roles, captivatingly portrays competence, especially in the memorable scene where he exposes a fraudulent insurance claim.

The compellingly unique circumstances of the murder-where Walter impersonates the victim on a train-capture the audience's attention. Equally fascinating is Keyes's deduction that the death of Dietrichson (Tom Powers) was neither accidental nor a suicide, although he fails to connect Walter to the crime.

Here, the subplot involving Dietrichson's daughter, Lola (Jean Heather), who stands to inherit her father's estate, plays a role. Regrettably, much of the suspense involving Lola remains unseen on screen, a notable narrative weakness.

As the plot advances, Walter's alliance with Phyllis takes a dramatic turn when he discovers her collusion with Nino Zachette (Byron Barr), Lola's on-and-off boyfriend, potentially for Lola's murder.

The anticipated denouement sees Walter and Phyllis face their due consequences. However, I find Phyllis's sudden change of heart, leading her to spare her lover, slightly less convincing.

In the realm of cinema, 'Double Indemnity' stands as one of the rare films where continuous narration effectively enhances the dialogue's imagery. The film's authenticity is bolstered by its adept incorporation of insightful references to the insurance industry, complementing Robinson's remarkably realistic performance.

Double Indemnity

[a_baron · 5/10 · 2 November 2020]

As film noir goes, "Double Indemnity" has little to offer; there are no gangsters, instead there is a highly improbable plot in which an insurance salesman falls over heals for the wife of one of his clients and almost immediately agrees to murder him. Actually, it isn't that improbable when one considers how some real life murder conspiracies begin and play out. Barbara Stanwyck is the femme fatale, an intoxicating blonde married to a much older man. There is a saying that when a woman badmouths her ex, remember that six months from now she may be badmouthing you. Now extrapolate this to if she murders the man in her life. There is another saying: "The best laid plans of mice and men..." Having committed the near perfect murder, all they have to do is sit back and wait for the insurance money, but things don't go quite according to plan, and as the story starts near the end being related throughout in the first person singular, it doesn't take much nous for the viewer to foresee the inevitable outcome.

The Not-So-Perfect Crime

[jet1415 · 2 December 2001]

Double Indemnity begins with a car speeding on a dark, rainy night. This begins the classic film noir plot. Billy Wilder directs a steamy and grabbing film. Billy Wilder pulls this film together with an awesome cast, perfect lighting and an amusing script. Fred MacMurray plays Walter Neff, an unsuspecting insurance salesman. He is unsuspecting in the sense that he is unaware of what the ‘femme fatale' is going to put him up to. Barbara Stanwyck plays the ‘femme fatale', Phyllis Dietrichson, a manipulative housewife who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

The film begins in present day giving insight into Walter's current plight. Walter Neff gives the voice over as the plot unfolds. It starts in the present time allowing the audience to know what crime has happened without the interesting details to support it. This is an interesting twist to the common film noir plot. Knowing the crime at hand keeps the audience hungry for those details. Walter is the victim of the beautiful woman who manipulates him into pulling off a murderous insurance fraud scam. Walter is an impeccable insurance salesman and Phyllis, in some ways, forces him into providing her with what she needs. Phyllis is the typical ‘femme fatale' who has no problem in using others to get what she wants.

Throughout the film Walter is completely enamored by Phyllis. Walter could have coined the pet name ‘baby' with his fondness towards Phyllis by calling her that throughout the film. He is easily distracted by her beauty and evil charm. He seems to be entranced by Phyllis's ankle bracelet, so much that he mentions it numerous times. This allows the audience to feel the sexual tension between the two. Phyllis, on the other hand, shows the audience that she can use and abuse anyone who gets in her way. While believably attracted to Walter, Phyllis keeps him hopping to fulfill her needs. She pulls him in and handles him like a puppet. She is the epitome of the film noir genre's ‘femme fatale'.

Barton Keyes, played by Edward G. Robinson, is Walter's co-worker and friend at the insurance company where he works. Barton closely investigates all insurance claims that come across his desk. While at one time Walter assuredly agreed with this practice, once Barton starts to unravel the mystery behind Mrs. Dietrichson's insurance claim, we begin to see just how nervous and paranoid Walter is. Walter then begins to see Phyllis in a whole new light. Barton plays the integral part by piecing together details that are thrown around throughout the film. This keeps the tension high for the filmgoer. These details are pieced together perfectly through to the end.

Double Indemnity has the perfect plot with the perfect cast. Walter and Phyllis' attraction are tasty and the crime is wonderfully puzzling. Double Indemnity is the true film noir giant.

you just can't find snappier dialog

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 29 March 2006]

Wow--this movie had the absolute snappiest dialog of any Film Noir movie in Hollywood history. For dialog alone and Fred MacMurray's voice-overs, this must rank as one of the best Noir films of all time. The words they say are all so carefully chosen and magnificent--the writers really did their work well. And, the acting and direction are excellent as well. About the only reason I don't score it a 10 (and it sure came very close) was that, for Film Noir, there wasn't a whole lot of action or even suspense in the movie--considering you KNOW that MacMurray is making a confession so he isn't going to get away with the murder plot. Still, these are VERY minor complaints--the film is simply great. I suggest after seeing this film you watch an episode of MY THREE SONS and see the two extremes in Fred's work--the absolute apex and the absolute nadir (if you don't know what those words mean, look 'em up yourself, ya mug).

The definitive Film Noir.

[Hotstar · 10/10 · 13 April 2004]

Double Indemnity is a film which fully embodies its genre, all the classic noir elements are present: venetian blinds, diagonal lines, a femme fatale and a victim of fate.

Fred MacMurray takes the central role as victim of fate, Walter Neff; cast against type, MacMurray gives a thoroughly convincing performance as a typical insurance salesman transformed into a calculating killer.

The estimable Barbara Stanwyck also delivers a typically faultless performance as the coldhearted and seductive Phyllis Dietrichson who enlists Neff in a plot to kill her husband and cash in on the insurance money.

Although this film may seem clichéd today, as many thrillers since have offered similar plot lines, rarely has the story been told so well. For fans of Film Noir, Stanwyck or MacMurray, this is an absolute MUST SEE!

A film noir masterpiece.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 31 October 2017]

Walter Neff arrives at the home of The Dietrichson family, to sell insurance, with the husband absent he gets acquainted with the wife, Phyllis, the pair converse, and hatch a plan.

I love the film noir genre, there were some superb offerings, there's a strong case for naming Double Indemnity as the best of the lot. Firstly the story itself, so wonderfully complex, loaded with twists and turns. Secondly the acting, so strong, Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck are superb as the film's leads. I particularly love the way that Walter narrates the story, an original format, getting it from his point of view.

First time viewers are in for a treat, and will have zero idea of what the conclusion will be. Even now it looks so slick, excellent production values throughout, quite simply this film is exceptional. 10/10.

Quintessential film noir

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 1 March 2011]

Billy Wilder had directed some wonderful movies, Some Like it Hot, Sunset Boulevard, Sabrina, The Apartment and Witness for the Prosecution are all fantastic. Double Indemnity is up there with his very best. Wilder directs impeccably, but his direction is not the only great thing about Double Indemnity. Everything is great about it, it is a timeless classic and defines the term quintessential film noir.

The cinematography is gorgeous with no rough edges or shaky moments, instead it is all fluid and beautiful, and the costumes, sets and scenery also help. Also superb are Miklos Rozsa's wonderfully atmospheric score, the compelling story which sizzles with romance and sexual tension and the truly crackling screenplay.

The acting also is impressive. Fred MacMurray overplays slightly, but this is one of the cases when overplaying works, because he is still witty and charming as well. Barbara Stanwyck I think is sexy, her character appeals and her dialogue is so good as is her delivery of it, while Edward G.Robinson gives a superb supporting performance.

All in all, a stunning film and one of the very best of the genre. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Double Indemnity

[FilmFanatic09 · 8/10 · 2 December 2006]

From the first time he sees that ankle bracelet, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) is a doomed man. As Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) descends her California home's spiral staircase, we are as enraptured as Neff. And it takes little time to figure out that being enraptured by this femme fatale is a very dangerous position to find oneself in. Is it accidental that the bracelet is worn around her ankle, as opposed to the more traditional wrist? Is it accidental that the sunlight streaming through the windows cast shadows not unlike bars across the living room? I suspect it's about as accidental as Mr. Dietrichson (Tom Powers) eventually ending up dead along the railroad tracks. We must remember that Billy Wilder is doing more than evoking noir here, he's inventing it. And how brave he is! Beginning the film by all but divulging the ending is hardly the route most directors choose to go when directing a thriller. But as he's well aware, the audience doesn't care half as much about where they end up as they do about the thrill of the ride it takes to get them there.

The structure of the film is familiar to anyone who has seen "Body Heat," or any other knockoff. "Double Indemnity" is the original however, and it's intricate plot revels in its complexities nearly as much as Walter and Phyllis do in their convoluted plot to dispose of an unwanted husband. The audience learns only a minimum about the relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Dietrichson, but we easily surmise that their union was not out of love. If the marriage was one of convenience, than the murder certainly is. It seems unlikely Phyllis is after the freedom to continue her heady tryst with Walter, and even the money provided by the double indemnity clause of Mr. Dietrichson's life insurance policy seems more like a bonus than a motivation. In other words, Phyllis just wants her husband dead. And Neff obliges.

Several times while watching "Double Indemnity," I felt my pulse physically quicken. These scenes were most notably the ones in which it looked as though Walter and Phyllis' trolley car had finally reached the end of its line, and discovery of their crime was inevitable. The scene where Phyllis is forced to hide behind a door, knowing that incrimination awaits if the person on the other side sees her, is unrelenting in its suspense. After all, we want this reprehensible act to go off without a hitch every bit as much as they do. That is the sign of a good film. It also stands to reason, seeing as how we were there when the elaborate scheme was being plotted. That makes us accessories. And if they get caught, God help us, so do we.

Ultimate film-noir

[IlyaMauter · 10/10 · 12 June 2003]

Double Indemnity is based on a novel by James Cain adapted to the screen by great novelist Raymond Chandler, who made here his most important contribution to the cinema history in his career, though somehow matched by following screenwriting work for 1946 Howard Hawks' classic The Big Sleep, and Billy Wilder, who previously worked as a screen writer for Ernest Lubitsch and had been already nominated three times for Academy Awards in the process before making Double Indemnity, which nevertheless played the key role in establishing him as one of the best writer-directors in Hollywood, and giving him his fourth Oscar nomination as a writer and his first one as a director.

Double Indemnity was the third feature Wilder directed after 1942 The Major and the Minor and 1943 Five Graves to Cairo, but it was definitely the first film, his primary American tragedy where the author for the first time revealed his black and somehow hopelessly pessimistic view of the American society and of the human society in general, blackishly desecrated in the film simply by populating it with exceptionally sordid characters, who independently of being a victim or victimized, of being the protagonists or just simple supporters are never really able to transcend the utterly low and devilish motivations in theirs as a consequence sordidly painful lives and reach such a state where the viewer might get relieved by considering one of them as a positive element. Instead the characters' lives shown in a continuous noir flashback of Fred MacMurray's not-a-confession are driven from the start to the very end by an utter greed in a form of double and not only indemnities with consequential and inherent to it risks and fears in a rather unsure world of insurance.

An insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), a man with `no visible scars', starts to lose his already shaky dominance over his mind's yearnings when glimpses on a horizon a possibility of becoming a recipient of a monetary fortune along with no less seductive desire from a part of unhappily married and as devilishly beautiful as resourceful in pursuing her zany in its deadliness schemes, an ultimate femme fatale blond Phyllis (marvellously portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck).

Initially apparent as a romantic, the relationship gradually mutates into double confrontation of the two fears of the two characters in their greedy and ambitious pursuits, a conflict which at one point apparently results in a sort of humanization of Phyllis' character, appearing hiding the eyes of her soul behind the sun glasses, a humanization which is let to happen by her only to accentuate later her unchangeably fatal nature.

The double confrontation gradually evolves into a triple one when the threatening presence on the scene of no less and probably more resourceful character of Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) becomes more and more evident, as a result of his continuous and obsessive investigation conducted with different but nor less ambitious motives. A motives which find its ultimate revelation in a most touching, but finally most hypocritical scene of declaration of love (I love you - I love you too) between Walter Neff and Barton Keyes in the end, exactly reflecting the same nature of previous interactions between Walter and Phyllis, where such moments with the very words used, such as the supreme word of loving affection - Baby lowered to an unthinkable extent, only were a mere preparation to struck another blow in yet another outburst of hate caused by a new misfortunate complication in carrying out so well devised and apparently perfect plan.

Permeated right from the start to the very end with the flavour of unstoppable fatality in an extent that a few other film-noirs achieved, accentuated by the wonderful music score by Miklos Rozsa, Double Indemnity's story is motored by the money like in nearly all of Billy Wilder films. But in this case all the misery produced by it as evident as never before resulting in utter corruption of already corrupted characters and their descent into a such a deep abyss of human misery as probably never before or after in a Hollywood film history, an abyss with no exit, with omnipresent hypocrisy, with no place for sincere human feelings of love, friendship or affection, an abyss to where the characters descent under the monotonous tune of Miklos Rozsa's score, which serves as a reflection of their monotonously hypocrite and ultimately doubly doomed lives. 10/10

Do you drive a new Cadillac to appear inconspicuous at crime scene

[filmalamosa · 7/10 · 16 January 2013]

Everyone knows this film and everyone loves it.

I tried to observe some flaws if there are any in it. The actress playing the daughter looked too old for the role. Stanwyck was 37 when this was made and Mc Murray was 36.

I agree with the reviewer who stated Mc Murray's later roles in TV sit coms and so forth tainted his image. It's true it was hard to take him seriously.

A new Cadillac driving around the rail road tracks might attract some notice especially in 1939 (the year this is supposed to take place).

Also you have to suspend disbelief that Mc Murray would be so smitten by Stanwyck he would attempt anything like this. She is not especially at 37 (or any age!) the most attractive woman in the world. The blond wig? I guess was supposed to make her look ?? maybe cheap or tainted. She can carry any role though plouging through it like a bulldozer.

But these are so minor. I loved the movie watch it and read the other reviews.

RECOMMEND HIGHLY

Timeless Classic

[MovieMusings · 9/10 · 4 July 2004]

This film is great fun. Sxity years later, it's as taut and engaging and beautiful as any contemporary story.

It simmers, it sizzles, the tension between Neff and Dietrichson is positively palpable. But, as the tension between Neff and Dietrichson fizzles, the tension between Neff and Keyes heats up.

It's as pure a sample of classic film noir as there is, and it does it with unparalleled style.

This is what movie-making is all about. It's not a labrynth of characters and trick endings and gimmicks. In fact, the movie starts with our tragic hero admitting he's the who whodunit...what are we left with?

The story of how and why he dunit, of how he was intoxicated and bewitched, yet came to his senses, not soon enough to save him legally, but at least to come to terms with his own failure.

This early and influential film noir is good, but it's not the best of the genre...

[craigaconnelly1 · 7/10 · 2 October 2023]

As is often the case, the reputation of something can be so great, that it becomes difficult in reality to meet the expectations such regard can create. Perhaps this was a factor that shaped my opinion about 'Double Indemnity', and I therefore should be mindful of that when judging this movie. I liked and enjoyed it, which my rating intends to convey. But there were a couple of aspects that slightly disappointed me as well.

Modern viewers probably need to recognise and keep in mind, a couple of important contextual points regarding this movie. Firstly, its subject material, plot and characters - particularly the portrayal of a woman of questionable virtue - had become rare for an A-level feature film in the United States, after the enforcement of the Production Code in 1934. Secondly, its commercial success proved that the movie-going public had an appetite for the genre, encouraging the industry to create the numerous imitators which soon followed.

One could draw a parallel that this movie did in 1944, what Pulp Fiction (1994) did fifty years later. They both pushed the boundaries of what was palatable subject material, introducing new edgy dialogue and interactions between the characters, creating a new kind of "Cool" for their respective eras.

I was disappointed with Fred MacMurray's lead performance, but it should be noted that my opinion here is definitely in the minority. I felt his efforts weren't very natural, especially in his scenes with Barbara Stanwyck, who came across as more comfortable in her role. Edward G. Robinson was unsurprisingly brilliant, and of these three mentioned stood out the most.

Most people will enjoy this movie, and plenty will go much further with their praise. I personally rate it a fair way short of the greatest films noir, but of course, that is a very high bar indeed.

Double Indemnity

[StevenKeys · 4/10 · 6 September 2021]

First in the series of late 40s sap noir (Out-of-the-Past 47 The-Postman-Always-Rings-Twice 46 The-Killers 46), a tag inspired by Maltese Falconer Sam Spade who refused to "play" one. Not so much dark as brown around the edges criminal melodrama, sap-noir begins to drip when a male in lead (MacMurray) falls under the spell of a designing dame (Stanwyck) who hatches a scheme that's doomed from the get-go, one the cluckhead just can't resist and then it's only a matter of time until the bloodhound in residence (Robinson) figures their game and the malefactors both end up eating a bullet or getting the electric chair. Seemingly normal men who work in a professional capacity do not throw it all over, i.e., commit pre-meditated murder, because of "a little bit of money (Margie)" and a dame with a dye-job and nice pair of gams, especially when he knows the designer might some day do the same thing to him. There must be a foundation, a basis for belief in eachother to invite serious risk taking (See also; Bonnie-And-Clyde 67 Gun-Crazy 50), something entirely lacking in Double.

The story is predictable, dialogue pulpy and actors faces all as familiar as the Studio's moralizing message, 'Crime never pays!,' yet, with Wilder directing and Barbara the fatale, even as she looks more ridiculous than devious, its cult status is strong. Billy mastered the dram-com (Stalag Sunset Some), not so the straight drama where his darkness devolves into depressing (Ace-in-the-Hole Lost-Weekend). Jean Peters or Beverly Michaels (Pickup) might've made this Cain work more credible as tawdry temptress just wasn't in Stany's wheelhouse. I wouldn't give it the time, but if you like classic celebrity and following trends, this might be the parade you're looking for (2/4).