Double Indemnity (1944)

A prime example of film noir, Double Indemnity does a lot of interesting things with light. Film noir is often characterized by a dimly lit visual style. This fosters a claustrophobic atmosphere. And this claustrophobia is represented by Phyllis Dietrichson, who talks about being trapped in her marriage by her husband. She is visually trapped by the shadows cast by the venetian blinds. The shadows are reminiscent of prison bars, appropriate for a pair of criminals like Phyllis and Neff. The venetian blind shadows cleverly allow the viewer to see half of the frame in light, while mysteriously obscuring the other half.

The scenes are sometimes so dark that it is sometimes hard to make out the figures. At the same time, it is so dark that when there is a small ray of light, the contrast is highly accentuated. When Neff enters Phyllis’s dark house (she just turned off all the lamps), you see his shadow come through the door before you see him. You see an ominous cutout of a man in a hat. It is a classic conservative look for a respectable company man. Compare Neff to the femme fatale. In Phyllis’s first scene, there is a bright aura about her—from her platinum blonde hair to her white towel and her fair skin, she glows beneath the dark archway. Perhaps the lighting is deceptive. Neff is struck by her beauty and her light, permitting her to seduce Neff into a compromising situation.

            

The film has a feel of doom-and-gloom, thanks to the dark lighting and the unbalanced composition. This tone of the film contributes to the fatalistic attitude of the characters, whose fates are predetermined. The metaphorical trolley is headed towards the cemetery and Phyllis and Neff cannot escape this fate. In a brilliant directorial decision, Neff narrates the story in a series of confessional flashbacks. These events already happened and there is no changing the past. The story begins at the edge of the cemetery and it is already too late to turn back because the damage is done.