Cinema Dissection: Double Indemnity

Film Talks

Upon the publication of James M. Cain’s sensational crime novel “Double Indemnity,” Joseph Breen (Hollywood’s chief censor) declared, “The general low tone and sordid flavor of this story makes it, in our judgment, thoroughly unacceptable for screen presentation….” Director Billy Wilder respectfully disagreed. Working with crime novelist Raymond Chandler, Wilder fashioned a script that kept the dark, seediness of the novel while meeting Breen’s stringent “moralistic guidelines.” Add Fred MacMurray and sultry Barbara Stanwyck as the scheming adulterous lovers along with Edward G. Robinson as the shrewd, tenacious insurance investigator Barton Keys, and you have everything you need for an archetypal film noir.

Join facilitator and SIFF Programmer Dan Doody for a shot-by-shot investigation of the film’s ingenious narrative, its whip-smart dialogue, and how (not) to commit the perfect murder.