Double Indemnity - James Clarke

The essential aspects of film noir are all contained within this image from "Double Indemnity". The femme fatale, lying seductively in wait to betray her 'love', the detective-like insurance salesman. The stark contrast between light and shadow, the majority of the film taking place at night, and the over-all murder theme all lend to the noir-style of the film.

One thing that is absent, however, is the lack of rain. The majority of noir films take place in rainy, metropolitan environments with criminal undertones. It's increasingly rare for these type of films to be produced in American cinema, with one of the most recent and notable examples being "Brick", which was really good and stayed true to the original style as closely as a film set in highschool possibly could.

Getting back to the characters of "Double Indemnity", they are all present. The damsel in distress daughter, the only innocent in the entire film. The un-loving husband. The all-knowing boss who uncovers the truth of the plot. Frankly, the only archetype I noticed was missing is the weasly informant, the ones often played by Peter Lorre (think Maltese Falcon).

The relationships in the film, and the changes that every single one of them goes through, is one of my particular favorites. Neff and Phyliss turn on eachother and end up killing eachother, long after they turn on her husband. Lola and her boyfriend are reuinted, while Neff and his friend fall out of good grace shortly before he dies trying to escape.

All of this follows along with the Hollywood code at the time of films not being able to show that crime doesn't pay. This film shows that in aces. It also somehow shows that there is passion in the love web of the main characters, without having to elaborate on their sexual nature. We can assume that, as the audience, but it is never even hinted upon in the film.