When the film first introduced Walter and Phyllis together,
it has demonstrated the manner in which Phyllis spoke to the maid but as soon
as Walter began to speak to her it was inappropriately. The explicit language
only grew from the point. This spoke of how people of that era believed that
woman and men cannot have a friendship or speak in a decent manner. After
Walter leaves the house when Phyllis speaks about wanting her husband dead, he
left with honor and on the side of justice. Phyllis shortly arrives at his
house and they commence in the act of adultery shortly after their carnal
desires have subsided they speak of murder. Although Walter is unsure of where
he stands Phyllis convinces him by giving Walter a plea for help to get her out
of the abusive marriage taking advantage of the protagonist sense of being the
knight in shining armor. After convincing her husband to take the train she
contacts Walter about when and where to murder. This demonstrates the abuse of
power heterosexual relationships give people.
In the very beginning of the film there is a man that is
headed towards the camera. To someone who has not read the novel or previously
watched the film would be confused about why the movie would begin with that
sequence. Although I had already read the book was intrigued that’s why out of
all the other events that occurred why was Walter walking in crutches so
significant? How did it connect with what is going to happen?
The film centers around a man named Walter and woman named
Phyllis attempting to collect $100,000 by murdering Phyllis husband. Walter
impersonates the husband who has had a leg injury by putting on a cast and
using a crutch at first glance that might seem like the only reason for why it
was shown at the beginning but I believe it demonstrates the pain and suffering
that Walter is feeling both on the outside and on the inside. From the
beginning Walter is injured internally his life has left him with a dark
perspective about the world. Then after he begins his relationship with Phyllis
he is being handicapped from his conscious by the feelings he has for the woman
he believes he loves. As the film reaches its climax his injuries manifest into
the wound he sustains to conclude the beginning of the film is metaphor to
Walter’s being his pain and everything that has lead up to the events that
unfold during the film.
Both novel and movie were very entertaining and appealing to me. I ended up coming home and watching “Double Indemnity” on Netflix. Yes the Movie and the Novel had a different endings. In the novel Walter and Phyllis are on the run, very short run. In the movie they shoot each other, death is the price they paid. Nevertheless they both bring out the dark, mystery, deceiving, back staving, and shadowy elements of film noir. I feel that the screenwriters wanted to show that these criminals had to pay their dues, for all the wrongs they accomplished, crime does not pay.
ReplyDeleteI also watched the film on Netflix and I prefer that ending better my favorite part was Walter one the phone with Keys in what he called his "confession" and he ends it with saying he killed Mr.Dietricheon for money and a women and he ended up with neither that's a hell of a confession in my eyes. The novel ending was ok but not what I expected at least Cain kelp me thinking just when I thought I had it figured all out, thins went in a totally different direction so it was all good stuff.
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