2.4 Double Indemnity - Screening

2.4 Double Indemnity - Screening 

Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity was made in 1944 and in the last seventy years it has stood on the pedestal as one of the best examples of what the film noir genre has to offer. By using James M. Cain’s 1943 novella of the same name as the foundation of their story, Wilder and extraordinary novelist-turned-screenwriter Raymond Chandler wrote a mesmerizing script that introduced one of the most memorable cinematic trios to the audience. 

A story of a cold-blooded wife who sets up a scheme with an insurance salesman to kill her husband and profit from his newly established policy transformed, partly thanks to the phenomenal performances of Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray and Edward G. Robinson, into an established classic that set the standard for film noirs that blossomed after the end of the Second World War. 

The original novella was inspired by a real 1927 murder in New York, a case which Cain followed as a journalist, but the road from the novella through a treatment to the finished script was an extremely bumpy one, as Wilder and Chandler’s ideas, vision and style collided more often than not. 

During the four months of their collaboration, the two artists frequently clashed, leading Chandler to the verge of quitting. But Wilder respected him for his writing prowess and stuck it out, afterwards going as far as claiming that the final product was as good as it was exactly because of his troubled relationship with Chandler. C

How difficult these times were for both of them can be seen in the fact that Wilder’s next project was The Lost Weekend, a story of an alcoholic writer, a story he wanted to tell in order to “explain Chandler to himself.”

But their effort paid off abundantly, as the script for Double Indemnity has been continuously lauded for the wittiness and cynicism of its dialogues, well-developed characters and intriguing, heavily atmospheric plot line. In fact, as Cain’s original dialogue from the novella fared poorly when translated to the screen, the lines seen in the movie have more to do with Wilder and Chandler than with the original author.

Besides the bulletproof screenplay and inspired deliveries from its cast, what makes Double Indemnity such a haunting experience is Miklós Rózsa’s effective musical score, as well as John F. Seitz’s beautiful cinematography (Links to an external site.), with masterful use of lighting and shadows.

Often compared to another Wilder classic, Sunset Boulevard (Links to an external site.), mostly due to the similarities in their narrative structure, Double Indemnity is widely considered one of the best film noirs ever made, just as it is firmly placed on every relevant list of the best movies of the forties.

This film is one of those rare moments in the history of cinema when everything fell into place perfectly, with immeasurable talent gathered both in front of and behind the camera. Even Cain, who wrote the original story, had to bow to Wilder’s accomplishment, having seen it half a dozen times. “It’s the only picture I ever saw made from my books that had things in it I wish I had thought of,” he said.

By making the most out of its literary basis, Wilder surrounded himself with great artists, unafraid to take chances, reasonable enough to listen to the advice of his crew, fully confident that what he had in his hands was a truly great film. One of many in this master’s long and fruitful career.

- Double Indemnity: A Mesmerizing Film Noir Conceived

Out of a Troubled Relationship of Two Greats, Cinephilia & Beyond - Link

Come back to two videos

1) Noir Alley Double Indemnity - Link

Box office Hit

Writer - James M. Cain - Postman always rings twice, best sellers. 1936, 1943 wrote
in a book. 

Billy Wilder - proactive humor his forte. ambition to do a thriller to challenge hitch. 

His regular writing partner wouldn't do it - he needed a colleague. Suggested 
Raymond Chandler - 

both snide and sarcastic. cooped up in Wilder's office worked together. 
Wilder the prince of Paramount - in a few weeks made the screenplay. 

Wilder betted that people would delight in seeing bad people do bad things. 

Took this story twisted it with mordant humor which made it all the more entertaining. 

Also a stroke of genius was his casting actors that people loved for their humor. 

Wilder - I'm sorry, I thought you were an actress?

Afterwards Wilder/Chandler parted worst of enemies. 

Nominated 7 academy awards. 

The Noir movement in Hollywood officially began - Sept 7, 1944. 
When Paramount Pictures opened Double Indemnity nationwide. 

This is the definitive Film Noir.