Double Indemnity is a hard movie to watch. It was the first time I have seen it, but I have seen the same setup before in another film called Fatal Instinct; a parody of noire films and erotic thrillers. The film Double Indemnity is about a seemingly normal (but not nice) guy, and a homicidal woman setting up a murder plot where the women’s husband is the latest victim. Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) a door-to-door insurance salesman meets the very attractive Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), and falls madly in lust with her. She suggests buying a life insurance policy on her husband (Tom Powers) without his knowledge.  Neff knows what she is planning; and not only helps but plans the murder himself.

The movie is heavily noire influenced; as seen in the introduction. The main character tells the story of what has happened to his coworker and friend Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson). Neff has a gunshot wound in his arm; setting up to introduce the story. You learn that Neff is a normal guy but you see where he went wrong in his choices. However, there is a moment in the film when Neff comes to terms with what he’s done; and the viewer can see a sliver of hope for Neff. It’s a dark movie that holds no punches in showing how evil people are and how manipulative people can be. Phyllis Dietrichson may appear a meek, bored housewife, but she is a cold blooded killer. Playing with the stereotypes of the time, a woman could be a murderer but would still show her softness to lure the viewer’s sympathy; but not Phyllis Dietrichson. She was cold, methodical, and knew what strings to pull to get what she wanted. She played the role of a woman in need of a big “manly-man” to help her; and Neff was the one. Too smart for his own good and the libido to match his ego; He sees Dietrichson’s agenda and calls her out on it. Sadly he cannot resist her beauty and lust trumps everything.  Taking the life of her husband is almost justified because he was verbally abusive and controlling. Divorce was not as common as it is today and the courts would not have given her what was hers; she would be out on the street. So murder for her is the only way she can get what she is owed.

I find many similarities in the film Detour which came out one year after Double Indemnity. The one difference that stands out to me is that the main character is a true good guy; hitch-hiking from New York to Los Angeles and to be with the one he loves.  Like Neff he made a bad choice that got him in to more trouble; and it is told through narration of the main character.  Being a broken shell of what he ones was, after making a bad choice. The choice Al made was one of desperation that got worse and worse over time; in contrast Neff did it out of selfishness and greed. The lighting effects and camera angles show how dark the world can really be and the touch of the narrator telling the audience how he felt at the time really helps sell this dark thriller.