Double Indemnity: Special Edition DVD

Double Indemnity
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck
Studio: Universal
Rating: 7/10

THE STORY: Billy Wilder’s classic noir, a familiar brew of lust, larceny, and lethal intentions, stars Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck as a hot-blooded couple. Framed in flashback, the story is told by the dying Walter Neff (MacMurray), beginning with his first meeting with the seductive Phyllis Dietrichson (Stanwyck) during a routine renewal of her husband’s car insurance. After some flirtation she arranges a meeting without her husband, where she asks about an accident policy to be bought without her husband’s knowledge. Although repulsed by the implications of her suggestions, his obsession with Phyllis leads Neff to contemplate the possibility of finding a way to kill her husband while making his death look like an accident. After she comes to his apartment, the insurance salesman finally agrees to become involved in the murder, and the two of them begin methodically working out the details. After the they dispose of Dietrichson, Neff learns more than he wanted about Phyllis’ unsavory past, but realizes he’s now too involved to extricate himself. He’s also concerned about his a boss, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), an omniscient insurance investigator who has taken over the case. DOUBLE INDEMNITY is brilliant noir, among the best of the genre, with a byzantine yet utterly plausible plot, stylized hard-boiled dialogue by Wilder and Raymond Chandler, and three terrific performances by Stanwyck, MacMurray, and Robinson.

THE EXTRAS: The documentary “Shadows of Suspense” is included along with two audio commentaries. The first is a very dry commentary by Film Historian Richard Schickel. The second Commentary features Film Historian / Screenwriter Lem Dobbs and Film Historian Nick Redman. The latter is an interesting commentary regarding the history and other nice details about the film as they know it. Also included is the made-for-television movie Double Indemnity from 1973—which is absolutely awful. We suffered so you don’t have to.

FRANKLY: Double Indemnity is a very good movie. This version of the film looks very good but you have to wonder if it’s worth buying at this point in time considering HD-DVDs are being released and a standard will surely be worked out very soon. If you must see it now then the Special Edition is the one to own.

+ Charlie Craine


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