Double Indemnity

I LOVE THIS FILM SMMM. WHAT A WONDERFUL GREAT FILM. ONE OF THE CLASSICS. It works ultimately due to its gripping plotline and structure. Immediately as Walter confesses he has commited murder, the audience is immediately drawn in, a masterful technique. The film is primarily told in flashbacks, which is a trope of the film noir. This is the perfect film noir for many reasons. The lighting is wonderful and definitely sets the tone for the suspense and the thriller in this plot. And the cinematography is one of the most stunning and it's very aesthetic. I know a lot of people love colour but black and white adds life in my opinion, you usually wouldn't see such a thing in colour films. Billy Wilder is one of the best directors, I don't know how he does it, but he sure works his ass off with his films. And the screenplay by him and Raymond Chandler is so good, the lines in this film are truly smart and work insanely good. And though the film deviates from the book, I am sure many agree that the film was better than the book. Fred MacMurray as Walter Neff is such an interesting performance and when you put it into context of the nice guys that Fred played in these romantic comedies, his trope certainly fits this role. About an ordinary man underneath the façade of a respectable job who is truly as rotten as his female counterpart, the problem is he fails to realise that. Fred played this with a simple flair but he truly is a major force in this film. Even down the details like calling Phyllis "baby" that's what makes this film come to life, and the detail of an anklet. Edward G. Robinson is terribly underrated as Barton Keyes and he was very wonderful and olayed this role very good. Also a mention for Jean Heather who played Lola, she was sweet in this and truly wonderful. Barbara Stanwyck is the soul of this film. It wouldn't be what it was without her. I don't know how to explain, but she has this magnetic quality about her. Phyllis is film noir's most deadliest femme fatale, she spells danger in capital letters. She's almost like a reptile, cold, alusive, unapproachable. She's very manipulative. I found it amazing to think that Barbara was acting acting innocent in one of the scenes, that was insane. She never blinked once in this film, and it added so many layers, it felt uneasiness. The audience is horrified yet roots for her, which is also helped by the portrayal of her husband as an asshole. Barbara gave one of the most interesting roles for a female performance ever, even if it was clearly an outdated stereotype, she gave layers to her character. The wig is iconic no matter what. Barbara deserved that oscar (sorry Ingrid, not sorry). And of course a mention for the music, that's also wonderful..it's so crazy to think without one facet of this film, it would only be half empty.