Blog #5

I Love You Too’: Sexual Warfare and Homo eroticism in Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity” by Brian Gallagher is   article  that’s  contrasts  the novel   by M.Cain  and  the  film   double indemnity   it  shows  various aspects  that might  not  seem  visible  to  the naked   eye.

 For  example I never actually  thought  the  scene  where Phyllis  shows  her  ankle  was  something    really sexual, but according  to  the time period  where  this  movie   and the novel   where set  up  it   is a big  deal  it was   something   overwhelmed   with  sexual  thoughts. It was in this   time period where women were covered from   almost head to toe especially married women.

 What I did catch   was  the over aggressiveness  to   the  character  Walter  in the film  it  seems like  in  most  scene  where  he is interacting  with  a person  he  just met   everyone  seems to  have  certain  hatred  towards him   it could  be   because of  his profession  or  it  could just be   to make  the audience  feel more  sympathetic  towards  him.  Saying  “poor  guy  everyone  dislikes  him  for no  apparent  reason’’ I believe   the  scenes  when  everyone  is showing  their dislike towards  him makes  the  film  more  full of tension ,  dramatic and  dark.

 The article  also  mentions the   3 pictures  of  the  boxers  on  Walters   wall  that they create  this  sense of  aggressiveness, I didn't   pay enough  attention to catch  those little  details  but  after  reading  it, I  felt  the need  to  look back at  the  scene  and   check     how  that  would  change my perception , and  in fact   the  scene  did   look  more  tough  and  Noir  oriented.

The thing that  I   indeed  catch  was the bromance, I’m not  sure if  I’m mistaken or not  but in my personal opinion  what  Keyes and  Walter  had  was more   than  a  boss  and employee  relationship  it was  probably like  a brother  to brother or father –son relationship  there  was  that  respect  in between them  and   that cynical  love  full of  sarcasm, like  when  Walter would    say to Keyes  “yeah  I love you too’’ I felt  like   there  the  kind of  I love you’s you tell  to someone  in   a  way so  they  believe  you’re just joking  but   they are full  of  that  feeling that makes  them  more than  just simple  words.

The lighting  of  the  cigars that  was another factor  that  could be consider  part  of the bromance  lighting a cigar or  cigarette  was usually a gesture  a man  would  do  for a women  but in this  film is  used as   something  more meaningful  than  just  trying to get  the name of that  beautiful female  who needed a match,  it  is used  as  a symbol  of   solidarity between  the  two characters , it’s like  if  every time  Walter light  a  cigar    he  was  telling  Keyes, I  Got you bro, and  then  in the  very last  scene  you  see  Keyes   returning  the  gesture to  Walter  when  he  is  laying   by  the door in his  death bed   trying  to  smoke  what could  be  his last cigarette, It is  then  when  we can  actually notice  that it  wasn't just  a simple  lighting of  the  cigar/cigarette  but  something more  deep.

Pardon  if  i  don't make  sense I'm  sleep deprived  and my inspiration kicks  in at dark  hours.