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Rightly considered one of the greatest film noirs of all time, Double Indemnity certainly didn't have an easy birth. Scriptwriter and renowned author Raymond Chandler said that working with director Billy Wilder was an agonising experience and probably shortened his life. The two creatives clearly did not get on, and Chandler was also very dismissive about the author and original story (Three of a Kind by James M Cain) which formed the basis of this screen adaptation, which is groundbreaking in its depiction of sex and violence in a mainstream Hollywood film.
Cain's book and the film are informed by a real life story – a New York lady named Ruth Snyder who in 1927 convinced her lover to kill her husband after he'd taken out double indemnity insurance cover – and Wilder’s experience as a cub reporter in Europe writing stories about murders. Chandler changed some names and put more focus on the relationship between insurance agents Walter Neff and Barton Keyes, but having read the book as research for this blog, I can say it's quite a faithful adaptation. Some of the sharp dialogue, however, such as in the classic "how fast was I going, officer?" scene, is uniquely the fruit of Chandler and Wilder's collaboration.
Cinematically, some of the distinctive features of the film are the innovative use of blinds and shadows Рnow a commonplace clich̩ of film noir Рto evoke a half-light in which intentions and motives are unclear, and Wilder's liberal use of voiceover narration. Some may find the terse narration excessive in Double Indemnity, but I think it's a necessary reflection of the first-person perspective of hardboiled detective novels, and more specifically in this film the plot is driven by the recording Neff makes for his colleague Keyes, recounting his descent into hell in pursuit of the femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson (played with devilish charm by Barbara Stanwyck).
Stanwyck was apparently not keen on this change of career direction, after a series of award-winning performances in screwball comedies, but Wilder goaded her into the role by saying, "Well, are you a mouse or an actress?" Fred McMurray was not Wilder's first choice to play Neff, but is very convincing as the all-American guy who gets duped by a seductress wearing an anklet. For me though, he seems to be more in love with his ego than with Stanwyck. The film's standout performance is by Edward G Robinson as claims investigator Keyes, and his quiet mastery of the role gives the film a grounding in reality and some necessary depth. Wilder apparently worked on an alternative ending, showing the death penalty execution of McMurray in the gas chamber, but I think it's perfect just the way it is.
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