Double Indemnity Film Noir Analysis

Double indemnity was made just after the war, during a period of time where men felt insecure, as women had become more powerful and independent. This is represented in the film by a negative portrayal of Phyllis. A common type of woman featuring in noir films is the femme fatale, which challenges the most traditional role of the woman and the nuclear family. She refuses to play the role of devoted wife and loving mother that society prescribes for women. She finds marriage to be confining, loveless, sexless, and dull, and is manipulative to gain independence. She uses her sexual allure to trap and exploit men.

In double indemnity the role of the femme fatale is played by Phyllis. She talks about her husband to Walter "I feel as if he was watching me. Not that he cares, not anymore. But he keeps me on a leash so tight I can't breathe." The femme fatale character represents the lack of fulfilment and of status women can feel in a conventional marriage.

Phyllis and her husband also do not have a child of there own, just a child from his previous marriage showing his lack of interest in his wife. Also when Walter enters the house for the first time he notices the pictures. There were no
The family home looks cold and uninviting and gives you a sense of the three people being forced to live together as strangers. When Walter first meets Phyllis the light comes from the sides so appears as though she's trapping him and has already got a plan. This connotes the idea of fatalism. A staircase acts as a barrier between them giving the idea that there's something stopping them being together. As Phyllis comments on her unhappy life to Walter, the light casts shadows of crossed bars from the blinds on to her signifying her imprisonment. Double Indemnity uses chiaroscuro lighting to create elongated shadows and silhouettes. It also uses key lights in unconventional positions such as below, above or behind the