| Shot # | Shot Type | Movement | Description | Timing |
| 1 | CUàLS | Pan left | Phyllis walks down the stairs and opens the door | 10 sec |
| 2 | WS | Track in | Phyllis and Walter walk into the living room and Phyllis pours ice tea | 20 sec |
| 3 | MS | Pan right | Walter lights a cigarette | 15 sec |
| 4 | LS | Static | Walter and Phyllis drink tea | 10 sec |
| 5 | MS | Pan down | Walter and Phyllis sit on the couch | 5 sec |
| 6 | MS | Static | Walter and Phyllis sit and talk | 20 sec |
| 7 | MCU | Cut | Phyllis talks about her husband | 30 sec |
| 8 | MCU | Cut | Walter responds | 10 sec |
| 9 | MS | Pan Up | Phyllis stands up and pours herself another drink | 8 sec |
| 10 | MS | Cut | Walter takes a puff of his cigarette | 3 sec |
| 11 | MS | Pan right/left | Phyllis paces back and forth | 8 sec |
| 12 | MS | Pan Up | Phyllis pours herself another drink | 8 sec |
| 13 | MS | Cut | Phyllis and Walter talk | 5 sec |
| 14 | MS | Pan down | Phyllis draws in closer to Walter | 10 sec |
| 15 | MS | Pan Left | Walter gets angry | 8 sec |
| 16 | MS | Pan Up | Walter confronts Phyllis | 20 seconds |
| 17 | WS | Pan left | Walter leaves Phyllis’s house and walks to his car | 15 sec |
“Double Indemnity” (1944) is an American film directed by Billy Wilder from the film noir genre. The film is about an insurance salesman named Walter Neff that begins an illicit affair with his client’s wife, Phyllis Dietrichson. The two construct a plan to murder Mr. Dietrichson and plan to make it look like an accidental death so that they can collect double the insurance money. The scene that I reviewed takes place early in the film when Walter has a second meeting with Phyllis at her house. in the YouTube video, it begins at 4:20. Phyllis inquires about getting an insurance policy taken out on her husband without him knowing it but Walter soon catches on that her intentions are not pure. Angry, he storms out of Phyllis’ home.
The scene is typical of the film noir genre. In terms of acting, the genre is characterized by the use of a femme fatale character. In the case of “Double Indemnity” the femme fatale is Phyllis Dietrichson. She uses her charm and ruse to manipulate Walter Neff, the cynical insurance salesman. A theme that is explored in the film is greed and lust. Greed drives Phyllis to commit an act of murder, as she would rather see her husband dead than not collect the insurance money. Lust motivates Walter to assist in the murder because Phyllis has seduced him. Both themes are explored in the scene, as Walter is obviously attracted to Phyllis. Their body language is not typical of an insurance salesman and his client. Questions Walter about the various ways she could take out an insurance policy on Walter, when in reality what she is really asking is how she could make money off his death.
In terms of visual elements of the scene, the low lighting casts shadows of the actors on the walls and objects in the room. Venetian blinds cast shadows on the walls, which can be seen throughout the scene. This effect is especially characteristic of the film noir genre. The low lighting and the shadows cast in the room make the scene feel intimate. In terms of mise-en-scene, the shadows in the room draw attention to the objects and set. The shots in the scene are primarily medium shots, giving the scene an element of consistency and repetition. The sharp lighting highlights the pattern on the couch. When Walter leaves Phyllis’ home, he walks down the walkway and to his car. This shot is filmed outside on location, an element of the film noir genre that was influenced by German Neo realism.
