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| Editorial Reviews: | |  |  | | Director Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard) and writer Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep) adapted James M. Cain's hard-boiled novel into this wildly thrilling story of insurance man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), who schemes the perfect murder with the beautiful dame Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck): kill Dietrichson's husband and make off with the insurance money. But, of course, in these plots things never quite go as planned, and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) is the wily insurance investigator who must sort things out. From the opening scene you know Neff is doomed, as the story is told in flashback; yet, to the film's credit, this doesn't diminish any of the tension of the movie. This early film noir flick is wonderfully campy by today's standards, and the dialogue is snappy ("I thought you were smarter than the rest, Walter. But I was wrong. You're not smarter, just a little taller"), filled with lots of "dame"s and "baby"s. Stanwyck is the ultimate femme fatale, and MacMurray, despite a career largely defined by roles as a softy (notably in the TV series My Three Sons and the movie The Shaggy Dog), is convincingly cast against type as the hapless, love-struck sap. --Jenny Brown | |
| Custom Reviews: | |
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| | From the James M. Cain novel this is the finest film of its genre under the masterful of Billy Wilder and an absolute must-see for any devote of film noir. Barbara Stanwyck is at her peak as a lying, cheating, double-crossing blond tramp(who can ever forget her ankle bracelet?) who schemes with Fred Mac Murray to murder her husband for the most base reason - his insurance money. Edward G. Robinson is fine as the insurance investigator who goes by his hunch that there's more than meets the eye than just a simple suicide.With a brilliant script (the double entendres when Stanwyck fobs off the attentions of Mac Murray are a gem!) by Wilder and Raymond Chandler "Double Indemnity" is a spellbinding rollercoaster into a world of murder, lust and betrayal moodily set in 1944 Hollywood. Double Indemnity stands as a towering achievement in cinema when a brilliant script, superb acting and excellent art direction and lighting are under the hands of a master. They just don't come better than this and not to be missed.
| | STANWYCK AND MACMURRAY WERE OSCAR ROBBED | |
| | Yes, they deserved the 1944 Academy Award. Both of them. They were robbed. Perhaps its because they played murderers and MacMurray was caught in Stanwyck's spider web. The movie was released during the prime war years (1944) and Hollywood chose to go the sentimental route with "GOING MY WAY". But Ingrid Bergman's performance in "Gaslight" in no way comes close to touching Stanwyck's bravura in "Double Indemnity". It was a close race between them but Bergman won out (inexplicably because her performance in Gaslight is overwrought and over the top). Stanwyck's evil restraint with one look that could burn a house down. And that wig!! That awful unflattering wig on her! Maybe that's why she didn't win?????
| | Possibly the Best Noir Film of the Era | |
| | Starting with an amazing cast and a great plot, this film lives up to anyone's expectations. Life insurance agent falls into the clutches of a woman looking to collect a double indemnity on her husband's death benefits because he died accidentally. One problem - her husband is not dead yet. By ensnaring the insurance agent into a plot to kill the woman's husband and making it look like an accident, everything is in place. I don't want to give much more away, but, even if you are not a film noir fan, you will find this to be a tightly written, wonderfully acted drama. This classic is well worth owning.
| | GREAT FILM - TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE DVD TRANSFER | |
| | | Do not purchase this DVD release. Its transfer to DVD is truly horrendous. Wait for some other distributor to release it. Wonderful film. Totally botched DVD release. Wait for it...
| | One of The Best Film Noirs! | |
| | | The title says it all. If you love film noir or if you want to start watching some film noir films, this is the one. This is beautiful shot in black and white by the great Billy Wilder. Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck both give great performances in this film. Barbara is one of the best femme fatales in the history of cinema. The dialogue between MacMurray and Stanwyck is well written and very well spoken. It doesn't get any better than this...well, maybe Touch of Evil. :)
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