As I read the zero draft questions for Double Indemnity, two of the questions just popped right out at me. The first question that grabbed my attention was the lone man walking with crutches, and the other was the one about relationships. Here is my try at answering these questions to the best of my ability. I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth as I see it.
A lone man walking with crutches approaches the camera. He is lit from behind so all we see of him is his body covered in black. Who is this person? I believe this person represents both Mr. Nirdlinger and Mr. Huff. I feel this way because when we see Mr. Nirdlinger with crutches, he is on his way to the train station. The next time we see a scene with a man with crutches Mr. Huff is impersonating Mr. Nirdlinger as he is getting on the train. Both of these men are at one time the same person, be it pretend or real. Why is the shadowed man at the beginning of the film? I think it is an important image to have at the beginning of the film, because it gives you a sense of foreboding and it raises your curiosity. It makes you think. Who is this guy? What part does he play in the movie? It gives you more reasons to be drawn into the movie as you try to answer these questions. You make more of a connection to everything that is going on in the movie.
The next question that grabbed my attention was the one where it states, “Certain critics have interpreted the film version of Double Indemnity as an indictment of heterosexual relationships. What details from the film portray the relationships between men and women as duplicitous and destructive”? For me I can answer this question with the two scenes that stand out in my mind. The first scene is where we get our first look at Phyllis. She is standing at the top of the stairs wearing nothing more then a towel wrapped around her. We have Walter at the bottom looking up. If this isn’t an obvious attempt for her to show what she has and to get the guy to want a closer look at what he is missing then I don’t know my seduction scenes. Then when she dresses and comes down the stairs, she is wearing a flirty skirt and an anklet which draws attention to her ankle. Showing your ankle in those days bordered on very improper behavior. The next scene that I think shows a duplicitous relationship between Phyllis and Walter is the scene where Phyllis shows up at Walter’s apartment with a very flimsy excuse. She says he left his hat at the house, but she doesn’t have the hat with her. When she comes in and takes off her coat, she is wearing a tight top and says her husband won’t be home until late. To me this feels strongly like a back-handed invitation.
The man on the crutches represents more than one man. I agree. And you’re right, it does set up a sense of foreboding and that feeling of inevitable doom we discussed in class. Our imaginations are immediately triggered by that opening image as we become the detectives in search of evidence.
ReplyDeleteI hadn’t thought of the lack of lady like behavior, “Showing your ankle in those days bordered on very improper behavior.” Good insight. I think most would agree that the relationship was sexualized from the very beginning, made clear by the lack of clothes on Phyllis. I liked that you highlighted that moment and the other one as well. And from there it never drops that connotation. I suppose the film is implying that men and women are highly sexual creatures bent on achieving their own aims at the expense of the other. This is unlike the Walter-Keyes relationship which is based on mutual trust, care and generosity.
Hello, I believed i picked the same questions as well. I also agree with you the both Nirdlinger and Huff both shared the position as the guy in the first frame of the film. Neither of them may no it yet, but they are both being framed since the beginning. I also agree with you that, from the first frame of the movie the reader is left with so many questions that can get your mind going. The viewer may think that just because Nirdlinger died so did the man in the beginning of the film but that wasn't true at all. Walter lived on until he took on Nirdlingers life, and did as well.
ReplyDeleteYes, there were a lot of scenes in the film that brought on sexual tension. The scene between Lola and Walter at the top of the hill brought on tension, even though the two of them didn't act on it, the viewer could still tell there was something there between them. There were many more scenes that showed this aspect of film nior. We just touched on a few. your blog was very nice to read, until next time.