What's the point of insurance?

          Imagine falling in love with someone and doing anything you can to be with that person. But after devising a cover up for the murder of her husband you and her committed in order to be together, you find out she never really loved you back… and she tried to kill you—a true Film Noir. Director, Errol Morris, describes great noir films as films about fall guys,

 “a person who finds himself caught in a net, the more he struggles, the deeper and deeper he becomes intertwined in a nightmare.”

 In Double Indemnity, directed by Billy Wilder, Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), an insurance representative, digs himself into an insurance fraud and murder scheme in order to be with Phyllis Dieterchson (Barbara Stanwyck), a woman he fell in love with and the wife of one of his company’s customers. As Mr. Neff falls deeper and deeper into mischevious situations in order to be with Mrs. Dieterchson, the ending reveals Mrs. Dieterchson as a selfish woman who never really loved Mr. Neff and devised plans for her own well being. Director Errol Morris also states,

 “The Great Noir poses the question, Why me? Why is this happening to me? In the very dark answer that it provides, almost unacceptable, for no reason… no reason at all.” 

After working with one another for 11 years, Walter Neff and Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), develop a close-knit relationship and a trusted bond. After investigating the death of Mr. Dieterchson, Keyes, the manager of the insurance company, states that Mr. Neff would never have anything to do with the murder because not only did he believe that Mr. Neff and Mrs. Dieterchson not have a relationship, but he also states that because they knew each other for so long, it wasn't Mr. Neff’s persona to commit a devious crime; therefore, exemplifying the idea that there is no explanation for why Mr. Neff was caught in this type of situation and just had bad luck. 

"The classic femme fatale, to me, is a woman that's getting the man into bed and then into trouble... that's the kind of character that people never forget. They love to hate. They often refer to my eyes as bedroom eyes and that doesn't fit for the "goody-goody" wife or nice girlfriend that's tending the home," Maries Windsor, actress. 

Film noir did not only go against traditional Hollywood happy endings, but it also contradicted the modest image of a woman by creating the femme fatale. 

In Double Indemnity, Phyllis Dieterchson portrays the typical femme fatale by first seducing Walter Neff (getting the man into bed), then convincing him to take part in both a murder and an insurance fraud (getting the man into trouble). When Mr. Neff and Mrs. Dieterchson first met, Mrs. Dieterchson is seen at an upward angle, wearing only a towel, and Mr. Neff, wearing a business suit, is shot at a downward angle; thus, providing visual dominance as described by Janey Place in the documentary, Film Noir. When Mrs. Dieterchson came down the stairs to talk to Mr. Neff, Mrs. Dieterchson was wearing a tight dress and carried a seductive voice. Days later, Mrs. Dieterchson came to Mr. Neff’s apartment by herself and told Mr. Neff that she loved him and wanted to kill her husband; therefore proving to be an assertive female figure. At the end of the film with the result of Mrs. Dieterchson’s fake love for Mr. Neff and attempt to kill him as well as Lola Dieterchson's, Mr. Dieterchson’s daughter, speculations of Mrs. Dieterchson's devious intentions, viewers find her to be a selfish, conniving, seductive woman—characteristics of a traditional femme fatale.

Double Indemnity represents a circular structure, beginning with the start of Walter Neff's story, along with the use of direct address narration (except not addressed to the audience but addressed to the insurance manager, Barton Keyes) and flashbacks, ending the film with the end of Mr. Neff's story. 

"Yes, I killed him [Mr. Dieterchson]. I killed him for money and I killed him for a woman. I didn't get the money and I didn't get the woman. Pretty isn't it? " Walter Neff

Double Indemnity includes heavy shadows, slashes of light (created by slatted venetian blinds), fog and rain, staircases, and dark interiors-- elements of a classic film noir. At the beginning of the film, there is a silhouette of a man in crutches (later identified as Mr. Dieterchson), suggesting a troubled situation to happen in the film. Furthermore, within the first eight minutes of the film, when Mr. Neff walks into the Dieterchson's living room, the scene includes dust and slashes of light; thus, setting up a mysterious atmosphere. In addition, the use of staircases  (Dieterchson household and Insurance company building) poses a dominant environment as well as a feeling of urgency due to the upward view and panoramic angles. The dark interior, fog, and rain as well as the urban Los Angeles location creates a dark mood and foreshadows the plot... predicting some type of crime to occur. 

With "film noir" translating to black film, "neo noir" translates to new black, meaning neo-noir films contain the dark element but with color photography and modern twists. Although many may believe that color photograph may not have much of an effect on a film, color can change the mood of the film from mysterious to exhilarating or deep and dark to bright and lively. 

“… it was really about something I was seeing in a lot of my friends, which was this desire to hit the big score very quickly. and that’s really the story for the central character… he just sort of is impatient and things are just not going as well, as pleasurably, as centrally as he would like. and a woman comes into his life that seems to open the door for him. where he can have all the things he wants, immediately,” Larence Kasden (writer and director). 

In relation to Double Indemnity, Quentin Tarantino's film, Pulp Fiction, an example of a neo-noir film, also takes place in urban Los Angeles as well as involves a suggestive woman and a recessive man. What makes Pulp Fiction a neo-noir film is it's bad guy vibe but with it's upbeat music and adventurous tasks, creating a more modern atmosphere. For example, rather than taking the woman on a traditional romantic dinner date, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) takes Vincent Vaga (John Travolta) on a groovy night out at a hip diner for dancing. In addition, the three stories of Pulp Fiction all include plots involving crime; therefore, reminiscing the classic film noir. Furthermore, Mia Wallace clearly appears as the femme fatale by taking charge when Vincent Vaga visits her home and taking him to a diner and seducing him and exemplifying a dangerous female figure by wearing skimpy clothing and taking drugs. The use of color pictures in Pulp Fiction makes the film more realistic and lively. In traditional film noir, black and white creates a sense of mystery and darkness; although "neo-noir" films also includes these elements, the use of color adds more adventure as well as more emotion to the film.