Double Indemnity (1944)

Subject: Double Indemnity (1944) Mon Aug 11, 2008 1:10 pm

Double Indemnity is a film noir directed by Billy Wilder. It is about an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) who helps one of his clients (Barbara Stanwyck) kill her husband. The salesmen and wife trick the husband into purchasing a large insurance policy, with a double indemnity clause, just before his murder. They stage a murder to make it look like an accidental death so that the double indemnity clause will kick in and pay double. A claims adjuster (Edward G. Robinson) that works with the insurance salesmen is a little skeptical and tries to avoid having to pay out the huge claim. This film, like Wilder's noir Sunset Boulevard, is told in flashback so the audience pretty much knows how it will end right from the start. I'm not sure I like this technique, but overall the plot was very good.

While I did not care for Edward G. Robinson in the only other film I've seen him in, I thought he was pretty good here. He did not play a villain so perhaps that is the reason. The main character, played by MacMurray, does an excellent job. While he's not as good a film noir villain as say Humphrey Bogart, he delivers a superb performance despite the fact he was generally known for his role in light comedies as a nice guy. Stanwyck is also excellent as a femme fatale, and earned an Oscar nomination.

While this film is mostly good, it isn't perfect. The murder itself seemed somewhat unrealistic, and once it was carried out not a whole lot happened that was all that interesting. It's a good movie, but not Wilder's best.

82.5/100
B-

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