Double Indemnity (dir. Billy Wilder 1944) is a film about an insurance sales man Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) that falls for a highly sexual, scandalous woman, Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) who attempts to kill her husband. Even though Walter dismisses Phyllis attempt to purchase life insurance policy for her husband; he is unable to stay away from Phyllis for long. In the time they spend together, Walter and Phyllis try to hatch a fool-proof plan to get rid of her husband and get a double…

issued that denounced Witchcraft and allowed the persecution of anyone that was found practicing it. More so, publications were made with the specific intent of demeaning Witchcraft, such as the Malleus Maleficarum, an `evil minded diatribe against women, who were seen as more likely to be witches, and was full of the sadistic pornographic fantasies of two celibates.' (Crowley, Page 21) The Malleus Maleficarum rapidly became a best-seller across Europe, which obviously did not play well for witchcraft…

The attempt of this overview is to discuss the similarities, differences and influences of Noir Film and Neo Noir Film and analyzed how they have evolved taking Double Indemnity and Chinatown and as generic examples.To achieve this attempt, first of all. It is important to know what it is considered Noir Film, when it began and how this was developed into the Neo-Noir cinema. It is considered Noir Cinema those made between 1940 and almost 1960 in which very inner characteristics were the individual…

Men and Women in Nontraditional Sports as Portrayed in Film Women and men play various sports because they as Americans want to experience the excitement of playing for fun, and doing something they love. The idea of what men and women can do for fun in sports has been shaped by the American society in many different ways through the media, schooling and education, and professional sports organizations. America portrays women playing field hockey and doing synchronized swimming while men do boxing…

Historians do not agree with historical events portrayed in war films because films don’t always portray the facts. For this reason, historians might discredit the film but it’s not Hollywood’s job to inform or tell the truth. Hollywood is the business of entertainment that fulfills the fantasies that people want to see. Through films the audience gets the feelings and understanding of a historical time period, plus satisfaction of entertainment. The director’s give their point of view mixed with…

The Hollywood movie Pretty Woman (1990) is about a prostitute in Hollywood, marrying an extremely rich businessman, in spite of her mutual distrust and prejudice. The movie contains the basic narrative of the Cinderella tale: through the love and help of a man of a higher social position, a girl of a lower social status moves up to join the man at his level. Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) in Pretty Woman comes from a small town in Georgia, and works as a prostitute on the streets of Hollywood to support…

In Billy Wilder’s 1944 blockbuster hit Double Indemnity, a fast-talking insurance salesman named Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) visits the home of the seductive Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) to renew the insurance policy on her husband’s automobiles. A romantic affair shortly ensues, and Walter is soon coerced by Phyllis into plotting a murder. Walter then comes up with an idea to receive double the amount Phyllis had previously intended, and they eventually deceive Mr. Dietrichson (Tom…

Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity is one of the best representatives of the film noir era in Hollywood as it contains all the main characteristics of the genre. The general darkness present throughout the movie is embodied in the plot which reveals the moral bankruptcy of the main characters. It is also present in the mise-en-scene choices such as the dark costumes and modest lighting with the great emphasis on shadows. The main character’s voice-over, another important film noir characteristic, brings…

Throughout time, women have often been regarded as the inferior gender. In China, women have had to go through dire circumstances in order to look good in the public eye. From foot binding to becoming concubines in a prison-like house, women have been through hell in order to please their men. There are a series of double standards and contradictions to how men and women are treated, and this is shown in both Lu Xun and Qiu Jun’s essays as well as in the film set in 1920s China, Raise the Red Lantern…

Film noir, directly translates as “black film” from French due to the dark nature of the film which includes its use of low key lighting in all films in this particular genre. Inspired by German expressionism, the genre developed around the time of World War II when musical and comedies were in bloom. But due to the war, people grew weary of the optimism and humour in these films, thus causing the popularity of film noir to slowly grow. Film noir reflected the issues people at the time were going…