Double Indemnity

I will not concern myself with how high the film Double Indemnity would rank in the imaginary hierarchy of the best film noirs, but I must say that it is an example of a highly professional genre film where all elements from the screenplay, direction, casting, performances, to the last technical profession, work as they should, and the result is a spectacle that is impressive even today, and considering the time of its creation, it is simply a top-notch film. This is how I imagine a genre film classic. Although the screenplay is essentially very simple, the execution is a delight. Overall impression: 90%. (2012-06-30)

A pitch-black, crystalline and almost Hitchcockianly precise noir about a near-perfect crime that defines a defunct genre with everything that made it so special: a deceitful femme fatale who collects men's hearts like scalps of enemies, a likeable hero who foolishly allows himself to be scalped, the elaborate and original murder of a poor husband and the tension patiently thickening until the emotion-filled finale. Wilder plays skilfully with the simple story, and even though it’s clear how everything must end, the viewer eats it all by the spoonful. A must for film-noir fans, for others I can only sincerely recommend it. 90% (2013-08-24)

A voiceover. A femme fatale. In black and white. Classic. As far as the plot goes, it's indeed a relatively straightforward spectacle where you can anticipate the hint of every twist, but when Billy Wilder presents noir, the form doesn't let you down with even a single misstep. (2011-10-01)

The absence of color in movies is usually a way for the filmmakers to enhance their vision. However, in bad filmmaking, it's more of a desperate attempt to convince viewers they're watching a piece of art. This film falls into neither of these categories. It's black and white simply because it remembers World War II, with no Technicolor added. Yet, even its age didn't stop it from thoroughly entertaining me. Sure, I was deprived of the opportunity to test my deductive abilities; when the narrator is the killer, you don't have to rack your brain. But that wasn't the point here. It was about the story, which was interesting, wonderfully shot and acted, and filled with brilliantly written dialogues like, "There's a very good osteopath down here I want to see before I leave." "Okay, Mr. Jackson. Just don't put her on the expense account." / Lesson learned: Do you have a perfect plan in mind? Assume it will be as fail-safe as the Titanic. (2022-06-01)

All my life I've passed noir films as a slightly inert viewer, but that's just me. But I've always admired Billy Wilder's ability to layer dialogue on top of dialogue, and here I've had a blast again. Too bad about two things, though. Firstly, I would have liked some refreshing visual ideas, in this respect Orson Welles, for example, was unmatched, but here where there's nothing. And then the laboriously invented idea of the murder seemed quite banal and in some places very naive. Barbara Stanwyck, however, was perfectly chosen for the role of the femme fatale. She is seductive, but at the same time, there's something off about her from the first look .... you just see her dark side before she turns out to be a cynical bitch :o) (2024-02-07)