Film Noir

          In the documentary Film Noir, many directors and writers were interviewed. Abraham Polonsky, who was both a director and writer, stated that if the actors and film should "reflect [a] general sense of jeopardy in life, which is what exists in all film noir, then it's a correct representation of the anxiety caused by the system." He also said that what makes a film noir a film noir is when "circumstances become more and more unendurable and yet you must endure." These quotes relate to the film Double Indemnity because Fred MacMurray's character, Walter, has to face situations that he must follow through with in order to help the character Phyllis.
          Film Noirs were famously known for the woman's presence as a femme fatale.
In the documentary, a femme fatale was described as a women who gets a man into trouble. Jeney Place explained how a femme fatale was "a smart, powerful, and extremely sexual" female. Phyllis was the perfect example for the typical femme fatale. She used her sexuality and brains to put a spell over Walter and got him to do whatever she wanted. She used him to write the insurance policy, kill the husband, help dispose the body, and take all the blame.
          In Double Indemnity, there were many factors to this film that made it a film noir. The dim lighting and different camera angles and gloomy music gave certain scenes a sense of darkness and danger. When Walter first enters Phyllis' house, he describes how the blinds were closed but there was little light coming through which allowed him to see the dust in the air. This description and visual of the home made it seem suspicious and not at all a warm and cozy home. Another scene that has music that gives a sense of danger and suspense is when Walter is done listening to the radio and makes a phone call. The music that is played before he reaches the phone leads up to the actual phone call and made the scene seem dark and mysterious.
          Neo-noir films are filmed using color, but this doesn't mean that they cannot have that film noir feel. Even though color is shown, in neo-noir films the colors can be dark and cold which gives the film a sense of mystery and danger and darkness that originates in film noir. In the film Memento, there were actual scenes where when Leonard flashed back, the scene was in black and white. Another dark place was his room. There wasn't much light and bright colors, which gave the feeling of coldness and a sense of uneasiness. Even in modern films today, you can find elements of film noir.