Shut Up, Baby

I have to say that I was a little surprised when we were watching Double Indemnity in class. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from the film, because I'm not very well-versed in film noir. When I first saw that we were to watch a film noir, I had low expectations; I anticipated watching a B-movie with low production values. When I read about the film and found out that it was highly acclaimed, and was nominated for seven Oscars, my expectations went up considerably. After having seen the film, I feel that it fits somewhere in the between. It is a very well made movie, but I can't see how it could be in the running for Academy Awards. That being said, this film shows off all the hallmarks of film noir. The film uses visual tricks such as low-key lighting and shadows from venetian blinds to make it appealing to the eyes. The storyline is also classic noir. From the beginning of the film, it's obvious how the story will end. Neff is doomed. Period. With that piece of plot out of the way, the focus is shifted to how the events unfolded, not the endgame. This, along with the voice-over narration, make this film a compelling example of film noir.