Blog Post #8 Double Indemnity

2.  Within Double Indemnity there are several stylistic features that contribute to the Film Noir mood that has been frequently associated with the film. The way the characters are portrayed, the setting of the film, and the overall story line of the film contribute to the Film Noir mood that is created. The portrayal of the main characters is dark and full of mystery. Walter Neff, the insurance salesman, appears to be very mysterious, and always seems as if he is thinking about the guilty things he has done. This is seen more frequently throughout the film, especially after he murders Mr. Dietrichson. The way he looks at other people is another thing I picked up on that helps his characterization contribute to the Film Noir mood. Neff always looks at others with a sense of suspicion, whether he is suspicious of himself or that person, which plays well with fact that Neff is guilty of murder and was around people who were suspicious of him, such as his boss. The other main character, Phyllis Dietrichson also was characterized to further emphasize the darkness of the film. She does not follow typical gender roles as she wants to kill her husband for the insurance money. Typically people who think like that are very dark in nature and during this time a person like this, most likely would not be a woman.  She also is very sneaky and was bale to easily manipulate everyone into thinking that she was so upset about the lost of her husband. This characterization alludes to the darkness of the film in terms of darkness being evil, and bad.

The setting of the film also impacts the dark depressing nature of the film. Double Indemnity opens with Neff talking to a recording device about the events that have recently happened. He is alone and does this at night, when no one else can see or hear him. All of the major events that occur in the film also occur at night, such as the murder, which is a key event. The important parts that do occur in the day are typically seen being done in secrecy or involve the characters to talk to one another without being face to face or using code words. The use of lighting to show the amount of expression on the characters faces also helps to portray the darkness of the film.

The storyline in Double Indemnity also has hey features that contribute to the dark and depressing nature of the film. First, the plot revolves around a murder, something that will always be dark and depressing. The plot also has other features that are dark such as the fact that Neff and Dietrichson are trying to cover up the murder in order to get something out of it. The film also uses first person voice over narration to help the audience better get into the corrupted mind of Neff and this is most commonly seen right after Neff has just done something controversial, such as murdering a man. This is important because it allows the audience to hear what the character is thinking without them having a dialogue, and contributes to the mystery within the film.