INFT 1015 - Analyzing Mise-en-Scène in Double Indemnity (1944)

This critical analysis explores how mise-en-scène supports classical Hollywood storytelling in the film Double Indemnity (1944). It examines elements such as lighting, setting, and costuming, and their contribution to the film's themes, atmosphere, and character development. The essay references Bordwell and Thompson's principles of mise-en-scène analysis, demonstrating how these elements work together to create a coherent sense of time, space, and character goals. Special attention is given to the portrayal of Phyllis as a femme fatale through costuming and lighting, enhancing the film's overall noir aesthetic. The analysis uses specific scenes to illustrate how mise-en-scène builds suspense, develops contrast, and guides the narrative, ultimately contributing to the film's classic Hollywood storytelling style.

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Hollywood Film and Television
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The art of film making is a composition of audiovisual skills tactfully balanced together.
A film as an art can be better comprehended through using numerous aspects such as
performance, costume, setting, and even lighting. This not only constructs but also makes a
description of the world of narratives and in order to cue the emotions and responses as well as
expression of both the atmosphere as well as the theme. The main purpose of this critical
analysis is to present information on how the mise-en-scene is capable of supporting the classical
“Hollywood Storytelling” in the Double Indemnity film (Jones, 2010, p. 20). The responses that
will be made in this critical analysis will put into consideration on how both the classical and the
Mise-en-scene narrative will work together in order to develop not only the general narrative
themes but also the development of a coherent sense of time and space, obstacles, character
goals, the characters, as well as the location and era.
It is asserted by Richard Jewels that all the classical Hollywood narratives are actually
founded on the tales of the “providential order” (Jewel 2007, p.152). It can truly be asserted that
the film known as Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder that was made in the year 1944 is indeed a
good classic example of the “film noir”. This is because the author (Billy Wilder) indeed uses
numerous techniques in the film and the more prominent one being the “Mise-en-scene”. Mise-
en-scéne or more commonly known as placing on stage is no doubt one of the greatest aspects of
visual story-telling, it depicts the culture, the situation, and it creates emotions and helps the
audience connect with a scene. It is not only restricted to props or the design of the set it is the
design of the entire frame that a viewer is seeing on the screen. According to Bordwell and
Thompson (2010, p. 175), some of the aspects of mise-en-scéne are: setting, costume and make
up, lighting, staging: moment and acting. He says that each of these elements is interdependent
on each other and creates an impactful vision. He explains some of the principles that can be

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used to analyze how these elements of mise-en-scéne operate together. Unity, disunity,
similarity, difference and development helps in the process of analysis.
Some of the most evident mise-en-scene that has been used by the producer in the film
include but are not limited to lightings, settings, and costuming. It can truly be ascertained that
the Double Indemnity film highly contains some of the dark themes which are quite pertinent to
the genre and they include but they are not limited to corruption, crime, genre, as well as the
femme fatale which is ever present in the film (Brookes, 2017). The mise-en-scene aspects or
elements that have been used in the film and which are listed above greatly add towards the
“unsettling, dramatic, and mysterious tone of this film. That apart, the elements are also known
to effectively lend themselves towards the numerous aspects of the Film noir (Geiger &Rutsky,
2013).
In the film, it can truly be ascertained that the costuming element has mostly been
effectively used in order to depict Phyllis as being the “classic femme fatale”. This is attributed
to the fact that when Phyllis first appears on screen, this character is only clothed in towel thus
not only capturing Walter’s attention but also capturing the attention of other viewers as well.
According to this, it thus comprehended that this character Phyllis is not only sexual but also
alluring. It can also be truly asserted that Phyllis has also got a sort of “troubling air” around
herself. The scene that follows is actually a “close-up shot” of this character Phyllis whose ankle
is beautiful well adorned with a gold bracelet (Walton, 2017). This anklet is known to serve a
symbol of Phyllis’ overt sexuality that is to be a “definitive characteristic” that is associated with
a “female fatale’. Immediately the moment that Walter noticed this anklet, he became overly
excited by not only the anklet but also by Phyllis as well. Of course, Phyllis notices this fact and
opts to use it for her own advantage both in this specific scene as well as in the entire film. It can

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also be truly asserted that Phyllis as a character is also costumed typically in the clothing which
can better be regarded as being “a bit racy”.
The clip starts with the scene of Walter (Fred MacMurray) in front of a lowly lit front of
a garage, the light and the shadow that the hat casts on his face instantly creates an aura of
suspense with the character and his intension, if a person who has started watching the movie
form this scene they will understand that this man is up to something. And it also directs the
spectator to the next step that this character is going to take as the backdrop of the scene is the
garage door, this is the part where the mise-en-scene helps in leading the story ahead (Bordwell
and Thompson 2010, p. 175-183).

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The lighting in this scene helps create the atmosphere, as the narrator has a deep and
reckoning voice on the backdrop it adds to the light and the noir in the scene. For at least 20
seconds this static scene is on the screen, it is a prolonged scene to create impact of what he is
describing as an act of murder which is going to be held in the next couple of minutes. The light
source of the scene is form a window which is also rather faints and has considerable impact as
the viewer can see Walter approaching the car, the figure of which can be identified from the
highlighted areas. The highlight of the scene is the dialogue and the deep tome of the voice that
is played in the background and the darkness of the setting.

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From a prolonged scene in darkness the edit cuts to this where there is a couple, the
woman is taking the lead and the man is behind her and is slow paced. There are many elements
in this scene that is strategically placed: the number plate which indicates the house number
which is significant of a settled life that the couple has. The trees and the brightly lit surrounding
emphasizes on the fact that the person is blissfully unaware of what is going to happen next. This
is an example of classic Hollywood story telling as it develops a contrast form the first two
scenes building up the intention of the two people (Bordwell and Thompson 2010, p. 175-183).

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The prevision scene is a tracking shot which is followed by back to back cut shots of the
people who are involved in the incidents that is going to take place. This is a scene where Phyllis
(Barbara Stanwyck) face and her style is more evident than the previous scène, all the elements
of mise-en-scéne setting, costume and make up, lighting, staging: moment and acting; are in
perfect balance. The light just focuses on the face that produces the expression of an indication
that all is going according to plan along with Walter’s nervousness and Phyllis’ joy, again draws

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a contrast of the expression in terms of the depth of intention among the two people in the scene.
The setting is the back of a car which is perfect as the most significant act of the movie is going
to take place in this setting. The shadows that the low light cast, brings up the intensity of the act
and the expressions.
This is the next scene which is connected to the scene that has been talked about above as
the setting is the same, the lighting and the costume is also the same the difference is in the angle
of the shot and none of the actors face is towards the camera, this again helps in establishing the
suspense and the also leads to the next scene which is an intense close up of Phyllis. This also
establishes the Walter is in the same car and that something is going to happen.

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This scene builds up the narrative with the help of acting and make up, lighting is clear
and the scene is a static mid shot which establishes the motive of the character despite her
dialogues in this scene are not anything concerning her motive. Phyllis' costume, heavy lipstick
and perfectly pined bleach blond hair established her role as a femme fatal. She looks straight
into the camera which establishes her fearlessness and gravity in her personality. This is the
scene which continues when with the help of background music that the deed is done.

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This scene has a lot of elements that has to be considered there is minimum requirement
of acting though it is important as it suggests the plan that is being executive flawlessly. The
name of the station is at the backdrop suggesting the setting; the car drives up to the parking
from where they take the plan of murder (Bordwell and Thompson 2010, p. 175-183).

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This is the last scene of the sequence where Phyllis drops off Walter and ends the scene
with a kiss establishing the relation between the two people. This is also a setting inside the car
and acting, make up and lighting plays the most important role in the scene (Bordwell and
Thompson 2010, p. 175-183). The expression of guilt and fear in the face of Walter and the
expression of content and accomplishment in Phyllis draws a major contrast in the narrative
owing to the classic Hollywood style.

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References
Bordwell, D. and Thompson, K., 2010. The Shot: Mise-en-Scene. Film art: an introduction, 5.
Brookes, I., 2017. Film noir: A critical introduction. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Geiger, J. and Rutsky, R.L. eds., 2013. Film analysis: a Norton reader. WW Norton &
Company.
Jewell, R.B., 2007. The Golden Age of Cinema. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
Jones, E., 2010. A Review of “The Golden Age of Cinema: Hollywood 1929–1945” by Richard
B. Jewell. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 2007.
Walton, B., 2017. Techniques Used to Establish the First Person Narrator and Perspective in
Double Indemnity and Murder, My Sweet. Arsenal: Augusta University's Undergraduate
Research Journal.
Flimography
Double Indemnity. (1944). [DVD] Hollywood: Paramount Pictures.