Noir, The Blog

Gillian Hughes “ Neff arious From the Start”              “There’s a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff. Forty-five miles an hour.”              “How fast was I going, officer?”              “I’d say about ninety.”              This dialogue comes from the classic noir film Double Indemnity directed by Billy Wilder. In one of the most memorable moments in the movie, Walter Neff, the main character, meets Phyllis Dietrichson, the femme fatale, for the first time. In this scene, after their initial encounter in the Dietrichson’s foyer, Neff and Phyllis have a conversation that begins as a discussion over insurance, but quickly progresses to an entertaining banter filled with many innuendos, as seen in the opening to this essay. Phyllis pretends to be coy, though we know all along her intention was to seduce Neff. The physical attraction between the two is impossible to miss, and sets the tone for the rest of the film. For Neff, the case can be made that it wa

Jonah Jerabek Professor Sinowitz Noir Films and Fiction 10/6/17 Angel of Death: A Film Analysis of Phyllis’s Death in Double Indemnity             “You can do better than that, can’t you baby?”. Walter Neff slowly approaches Phyllis Dietrichson, daring her to pull the trigger on him just once more. Blood seeps into Neff’s jacket but despite his sparking nerve endings, his demeanor refuses to be bothered. His dark form glides across the living room towards Phyllis’s frozen physique. She stays stiff as he plucks the gun from her calm hand. Without a card left to play, Phyllis sobs her love for Neff. “Sorry, baby, I’m not buying”, Neff deflects her pleas. “I’m not asking you to buy, just hold me close”; Phyllis buries her face into Neff’s unforgiving shoulder. Swiftly and without remorse, Neff stares into Phyllis’s eyes and sends a piece of lead into her torso. He proceeds to drag her limp body onto a nearby couch. Standing up professionally, he gives her one last glance before