Assignment 11: Double Indemnity
For this assignment, I decided to analyze a scene from the Film Noir classic “Double Indemnity.” In this scene, Phyllis – the femme fatale who seduced Walter into a plot to take out life insurance for her unbeknownst husband and kill him for the claim – asks Walter if she can come over to his apartment. Before she makes it, the insurance investigator Barton Keyes stops by to explain his suspicions about the apparent “suicide” case. Phyllis later shows up and listens in on the conversation. When Phyllis and Walter realize they may be in big trouble they decide they can’t be together and end the scene with a passionate kiss.
I feel like this scene in particular exemplifies the genre of film noir for multiple reasons: lighting, subjects, and characters. Like all film noir movies, the lighting is low and there is a lot of contrast in color. I feel like the shot in this scene that best portrays this comes at 4:13 in the video below where Phyllis is hiding behind the door. Like virtually all other movies in the genre, the subject of this film deals with greed, sexual attraction, and raised suspicions, and the characters match likewise: a femme fatale (Phyllis), the man who gets seduced into a shady plot (Walter), and a detective who figures the who thing out (Keyes). The themes also match the genre as the femme fatale seduces Walter into murdering her husband for an insurance claim with a promise of wanting to be together. After the plot they come up with isn’t as convincing as they thought it would be, an insurance investigator, as shown here, raises his suspicions and lets Walter know he’s going to figure the whole thing out. I believe this scene in particular highlights all of these aspects of film noir.
Starting at 0:25
1 WS Walter exits elevator and walks across the hall to open apartment door, 0:07
2 WS Walter enters apartment, turns on light, pan left, phone rings, zoom to MS, it is Phyllis 0:18
3 MS Phyllis is on a public phone 0:04
4 MS Walter asks where she is 0:02
5 MS Phyllis responds that she is at the drug store and would like to come over 0:04
6 MS Walter says yes, hangs up, pan left, closes curtains, pan right 0:57
Door bell rings, pan right, Walter answers the door, it is Keyes
Keyes enters apartment, walks forward to MCU/Two-shot
Keyes walks forward and back explaining the improbability of Phyllis’s husband’s “suicide”
Walter pulls out a cigarette, puts it in his mouth but does not light it
7 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes says there’s got to be something wrong 0:12
Walter stares blankly at Keyes while Keyes brings up the possibility that the husband didn’t know he was insured in the first place
6 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes looks at Walter confused thinking he sold the insurance to him directly 0:06
7 MS/Two-shot Walter says he did and lights cigarette, Keyes walks in and out of frame0:20
8 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes further explains the shadiness of the situation 0:11
9 MS/Two-shot Keyes further explains improbability 0:15
Keyes walks out of shot, to show MS Walter looking nervous
10 MS/Two-shot Keyes paces and the two men walk backwards, Walter picks up a drink 0:08
11MS/Over-the-shoulder Walter pours drink, asks Keyes if he thinks it was murder 0:03
12 MS/Over-the-shoulder Walter changes subject 0:05
13 WS Cuts to hallway where Phyllis gets off elevator and walks across to Walter’s door 0:09
Phyllis hears talking in the apartment and listens in from outside
14 MS/Over-the-shoulder Keyes states that he suspects the wife would be in on it 0:09
Walter takes a drink
15 MS/Two-shot Keyes wraps up the conversation 0:08
Two turn to and walk to door with zoom
16 WS From the hallway Phyllis hears Keyes exiting 0:07
She steps aside to hide behind the door when it opens
Keyes walks back towards elevator, all three can be seen
17 MS/Two-shot Walter watches as Keyes leaves 0:05
Phyllis is seen hidden behind the door
She gently opens it wider to let Walter know she’s there
18 MS Keyes exclaims that he wants to catch her 0:03
19 MS/Two-shot Walter listens nervously as Phyllis continues to hide 0:06
Walter gently opens door more to conceal Phyllis
20 WS all three can be seen 0:13
Keyes walks forward towards Walter asking to light his cigar
21 MCU Phyllis looks fearful from behind the door 0:03
22 WS All three are seen, Walter continues to light Key’s cigar 0:17
Keyes walks back towards the elevator, enters the elevator
Walter signals to Phyllis that it’s clear to come out
23 AS/two-shot Phyllis and Walter enter the apartment 0:50
Walter walks forward to MS, saying they can’t see each other
Phyllis walks up behind Walter asking how long
Slow zoom in as Walter explains how persistent Keyes is in figuring out cases
Zoom continues, Phyllis grabs Walter’s arm in fear of their separation
Zoom continues, Phyllis turns him around by his jacket lapels
Zoom ends with CU, Walter and Phyllis kiss
