Double Indemnity/ The Maltese Falcon

The film noir Double Indemnity involves protagonists that plan out a crime to kill some one in exchange of money. In this film we view Mr. Walter Neff as a weak character. His weakness is shown in the clip by being influenced by the femme fatal of the film. As discussed in class, a femme fatal in a film is shown to be a seductive woman who tries to persuade her victim by flirting with them to obtain her ambition. In Double Indemnity the femme fatal is more like a snake trying to move her way in different methods to achieve her goal. Phyllis is the femme fatal in Double Indemnity. She tries to convince Mr. Neff that they should both get rid of Phyllis’ husband, Mr. Dietrechson. Phyllis makes Mr. Neff believe that if he helps her accomplish this sinful task they will stay together. She convinces him that he benefits because he will also enjoy the money after the old man is dead. In this text, Phyllis is not worried at all after they do the sin and Mr. Neff is going insane just thinking what horrifying thing he had done foe money and a woman he was not going to be able to have. Towards the ending of the film, Phyllis and Mr. Neff both secretly chose that they should get rid of each other for their own good. Phyllis did not want Mr. Neff to be part of her plans anymore. Mr. Neff felt that he was danger by being accused of the crime. The movie ends how they both shoot at each other.

In contrast of the previous movie watched in class, The Maltese Falcon, Double indemnity grabbed my attention more because I felt that in the Maltese Falcon the protagonist went around and around the problem. I also felt that the movie did not grab my attention after a while dragging us through the movie, the film itself became dull. It started from the murder of a detective to the missing piece of something else. Both films are similar and different in a few aspects. They are similar because a femme fatal induces them by dragging them into the wrong directions.

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