Dark Side of Masculinity Double Indemnity (1944)

Information Released in 1944 in U.S. and in 1953 in Japan. Directed by Billy Wilder. Written by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the book by James M. Cain. Starring Fred MacMurray (Neff), Barbara Stanwyck (Phyllis), and Edward Robinson (Keyes).

Information (2) Nominated for the best picture, directing, best actress, writing original screenplay, best cinematography, sound mixing, and original music score in the Academy Award, but got none of them.

Information (3) Raymond chandler wrote the script because Charles Brackett, with whom Billy Wilder had worked, rejected to write screenplay based on Cain’s novel because the novel was quite immoral and ethically unacceptable at that time. Casting was also hard because many actors and actresses refused because the two leading characters are immoral.

Billy Wilder Born in 1906 in Austrian-Hungary Empire. Moved to U.S. in 1934 as a refugee. Mainly known for directing entertaining famous films such as Sabrina (1954), The Seventh Year Itch (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959), and The Apartment (1960). He was writing scripts for films before he started directing. And he used to be journalist before that.

Fred MacMurray Born in 1908. Had Mostly appeared in family comedy movies before this. Nice guy to ‘not so nice’ category. Many other actors turned this role down for worrying about the fall of their popularity.

Barbara Stanwyck Born in 1907. Hadn’t played notorious roles before this Known for playing good and sophisticated role. Wore a wig to become blonde in Double Indemnity.

Dark side of Masculinity. By Christopher Mallon About male characters of the Films Noir. “Many Films Noir narratives are about flawed men who pursue insatiable desires beyond their control.” “As these films demonstrate, there is the possibility that at any moment a citizen may become a criminal, given the right mix of desire and chance.” Historical and cultural analysis about how men became vulnerable as written. A little analysis about lighting.

The confession The confession at the beginning emphasizes the sense of doom and fatalism of Neff. Narrated voicecover of Neff makes it possible for himself to provide the audience with the sense of doom. Narrated voicecover can align the audience with the leading character, which leads to making them think that this disaster can happen to anyone. “I killed for a woman, and for money. I didn’t get the woman, and I didn’t get the money. Pretty, isn’t it?”

Femme Fatale Phyllis’s stockinged legs and spiky heels when she descended stairs at the first time they met. Barbara Stanwyck wore wig to emphasize Phyllis’s seductiveness. The blonde wig helped lighting create blurry impression around Phyllis’s face, as well as her white cloth.

Dark side of Masculinity Unlike criminal films, a guy who suddenly got drawn into some accident commits crime. He would have never thought about committing any crime if there were no such fatal accident. Neff realized that Phyllis wanted his husband dead, and rejected to join her, but later he became seduced. He fell into the dark side of Masculinity. He got drawn into Phyllis.

Then, what did Neff want? Did Neff just want Phyllis or Money? Written in neither the narratives nor the reading material.

Social Reflection of Double Indemnity “Double Indemnity is .. in reflecting the mood of a war-tone nation seeking an end. It is a film that provided a lens for a changing society, in which its social mores were questioned“. Cultural shit in U.S. society at the wartime, capturing masculine anxieties regarding women working in traditional male roles, and authorities. Men felt social stagnation by war, deployed as soldiers. Such stagnation led to feeling decadent or fatalism. “That’s life. Whichever way you turn, fate sticks out a foot to trip you.” Living among ethics, justice, and the guilts. Sense of doom, fatalism, and stagnation.

Chiaroscuro Lighting Chiaro: Light Scuro: Dark 明暗法 It creates bold shadows which emphasize the difference between light and dark. Ex) Phyllis’s blonde hair/kiss scene in the car after murder

Venetian-Blind Lighting The shadow of venetian-blind created by this lighting reminds the audience of prison bars, which alludes character’s criminality and inevitable sense of doom or fatalism.