On D List of Movie Reviews

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Double Indemnity (1944)

Rate: 10
Viewed: 7/05, 9/13

7/05: Double Indemnity is not a great film as I'm led to believe.

It seems like a hybrid of An American Tragedy, The Maltese Falcon, and Crime and Punishment. Sunset Boulevard is a legendary film noir because of the dark nature and taut narration. But Double Indemnity doesn't have all the qualities to make for a definitive thriller.

I question the casting of two lead stars: Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. Would Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman have done better? However, Edward G. Robinson is a treat. In the beginning, the characters are somewhat loquacious, and then midway, the story becomes predictable. Thus, the ending isn't a surprise. So to speak, it's a drag.

All in all, maybe my review of Double Indemnity is harsh, so I'll like to see it again later.

9/13: My opinion is improved now after seeing Double Indemnity again.

It's a very good film noir with a great femme fatale in Barbara Stanwyck. Fred MacMurray does his part well. Something I hadn't noticed enough the first time is how he delivered his lines with a straight face. There's a playful repartee between him and her that seals the deal what Double Indemnity will be about. So, all the credit goes to Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler for penning a witty script. It's their writing that makes the characters and the setting come alive.

Edward G. Robinson, as great as he had been in so many films, was sadly not Oscar-nominated. The Special Edition DVD has a wonderful introduction by Robert Osborne, the host of TCM channel, to help the viewers get in the right mood. I'll like to see him to do that for all movies from now on because he always makes it sound so fascinating.

All in all, Double Indemnity sets the standard of how a film noir should be.

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