Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9781558807785
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 1558807780
Label: MCA/Universal Home Video
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: MCA/Universal Home Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MCA/Universal Home Video
Release Date: 1992-03-01
Running Time: 107
Studio: MCA/Universal Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: 1944-09-06

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

Customer Rating:
Summary: Double Indemnity
Comment: Double Indemnity is my first experience in traditional film noir and i quite enjoyed it. The film stood out to me in a number of ways, mostly the unique story and the look of the film. Double Indemnity's story was unique largely because the protagonist in many ways didn't seem to be a good person. It was one of those movies where its hard to completely identify with any of the characters yet it still remains interesting. I really liked the typical noir look that the movie had. I think the film is a fairly typical example of film noir and im looking forward to seeing more movies like it.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The best
Comment: Great movie. Excellent value. Arrived quickly. No problems. Have ordered many items and have never been disappointed. Thank you.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Comment: Understandably many noir fans feel this movie is the best of its genre.
It is definitely in my top 10, maybe top 5.
No matter though, because it is a great movie, although I would have liked to see Dick Powell in this role instead of Fred McMurray.

It's a can't miss movie !

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Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best film noir movies ever made
Comment: This is tense, gritty film noir at it's best, what more is there to say? A superb plot, directing, screenplay and a sterling cast..

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Back when substance was more important than special effects...
Comment: So I've decided that the film noir has just been disrespected by the so called `noirs' of today, especially when you compare them to the greats of yesteryear. Having recently watched (and balked) films like `Devil in a Blue Dress' and `The Usual Suspects', supposed film noirs of today, I have been aching to convince myself yet again that the genre is not a total lost cause. Sure, we have the recent (ten years old now) `L.A. Confidential' to bolster our confidence that the genre isn't always handled atrociously; but even Hanson's masterpiece cannot hold a candle to Polanski's `Chinatown' or Wilder's brilliant `Double Indemnity'.

This 1944 classic centers on insurance salesman Walter Neff as he is conned into committing a heinous crime by the beautiful and intoxicating Phyllis Dietrichson. Phyllis proposes that Walter sign her husband up for accident insurance without his knowledge so that he can have an `accident' and she can collect the insurance payout. Walter catches on to her game and is initially put off, but his infatuation with Phyllis, and her cries of unfair treatment from her husband, cause him to change his mind and soon he is conning the very company for which he works.

But nothing every goes as smoothly as one would like it to.

Walter's boss, Barton Keyes, can smell a scam from a mile away, and his instincts immediately kick in when he gets wind of the Dietrichson claim. Beings that he has known Walter for years he doesn't suspect him in the least, but Walter's relationship with Phyllis could raise concern and so they struggle to keep their relationship a secret; but there is more Phyllis is keeping from Walter, secrets that could ultimately change the outcome of both their lives.

With sharp dialog and a plot filled with believable and dastardly twists, `Double Indemnity' is a brilliantly crafted film noir that stands firm as one of the best of the breed, and quite possibly one of the best in any breed come to think of it. The acting is superb and the direction is flawless. Fred MacMurray wonderfully sinks into his character, exposing his raw naivety when it comes to the advances of a cunning woman, and his guilt ridden core is masterfully blinded by his own desire for everything to be as he planned. Barbara Stanwych (who received a well deserved Oscar nomination) is a revelation as the devilish Phyllis, allowing her faux charms to woo us before exposing the person she really is.

The supporting cast is also stellar, from Edward G. Robinson's portrayal of the untrusting Keyes to Jean Heathers jilted step daughter and Tom Powers angry husband; all of whom add layers to the already complete film.

Watching a film like `Double Indemnity' makes me wish that every film were as complete and satisfying as these films of old. The stories were all so well thought out and elaborate, tightly woven to entice all of our senses. Today filmmakers are more concerned with visual grandeur than with mental stimulation, which is sad because a film falls flat without a worthy plot to lift it up. `Double Indemnity' has that plot, perfectly fleshed out to keep us in complete awe of its every frame.

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