Double Indemnity

8.4

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Original title: Double Indemnity
Year: 1944
Running time: 106 min.
Country: United States
Director: Billy Wilder
Screenwriter: Raymond Chandler, Billy Wilder (Novel: James M. Cain)
Music: Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography: John F. Seitz (B&W)
Cast: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Tom Powers, Porter Hall, Jean Heather, Byron Barr, Richard Gaines, Fortunio Bonanova, John Philliber, Bess Flowers, Miriam Franklin
Producer: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Film noir. Mystery. Thriller | Crime
Movie Groups: James M. Cain Adaptations
Synopsis / Plot: Unsuspecting Mr. Dietrichson becomes increasingly accident prone after his icily calculating wife (Barbara Stanwyck) encourages him to sign a double indemnity policy proposed by a smooth-talking insurance agent (Fred MacMurray). Against a backdrop of distinctly California settings, the partners in crime plan the perfect murder to collect on the insurance. Perfect until a claims manager (Edward G. Robinson) gets a familiar feeling of foul play and pursues the matter relentlessly. Tension soars as the would-be lovers find themselves plotting against each other.

Awards: 1944: Academy Awards: 7 Nominations, including Movie, Director, Actress & Screenplay

1944: New York Film Critics Circle: Nom. for Best Director & Best Actress (Stanwyck)

Critics' reviews

"A brilliant collision of evil and the mundane"

Douglas Pratt: The Hollywood Reporter
"A story replete with suspense (...) MacMurray has seldom given a better performance"

Variety
"Such folks as delight in murder stories for their academic elegance alone should find this one steadily diverting, despite its monotonous pace and length"

Bosley Crowther: The New York Times
"Few other directors have made so many films that were so taut, savvy, cynical and, in many different ways and tones, funny (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"

Roger Ebert: rogerebert.com
"[It] improves a little as it goes along, and it would be churlish to deny some of the pleasures to be had from its construction and dialogue, but it's a famous movie that doesn't bear much close inspection (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"

Dan Callahan: Slant
"It breaks the rules of filmmaking with breathtaking confidence and is all the more satisfying for it (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

Marc Lee: Telegraph
"I love 'Double Indemnity' because it's about a couple who are cheap and greedy, but achieve a kind of tragic heroism; because it has one of the great father-son relationships"

Paul Howlett: The Guardian
"Film noir at its finest, a template of the genre, etc. Billy Wilder in full swing, Barbara Stanwyck's finest hour, and Fred MacMurray makes a great chump (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"

Rob Fraser: Empire

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Ranking Lists Position

1 My Favorite Noir Movies (552)
68 My Favorite Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Movies (136)
72 Movies with Great Screenplays (49)
74 Movies with a Great Female Lead (42)
89 My 10 favorite Film Directors and my favorite movie of each one of them (55)

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