Double Indemnity 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Double Indemnity 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 4, 2022

Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity" (1944) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include new program film critics Eddie Muller and Imogen Sara Smith; new program with film scholar Noah Isenberg; Volker Schlöndorff and Gisela Grischow's documentary "Billy, How Did You Do It?"; archival audio commentary recorded by critic Richard Schickel; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Don't go yet.

The film begins with a confession –- a sweaty man enters a small office, pulls a chair next to a desk and begins taping himself. His confession is about a claim, some accident and double indemnity.

The man is Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray), an insurance agent with a sharp tongue. He quietly explains how he met and fell in love with Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), a beautiful blonde married to a wealthy businessman in Los Angeles. The two designed an ‘accident’ to get rid of her husband and pocket the money from the life insurance Walter sold to him.

For a while Walter was confident that their plan was perfect. He had thought of everything his employers would look at and question, even the smallest details were taken care of. Phyllis also acted as he wanted her to act – she never panicked and never made any mistakes. When she eventually filed the insurance claim with his employers, they could not reject it because everything looked legit.

But Walter’s boss, Barton Keyes (Edward G. Robinson), wasn’t convinced. To him the whole thing looked too clean, too perfect. He started asking questions, the type of questions Walter did not want anyone to ask. Fortunately, at one point even Keyes got fed up with the case and started believing that Phyllis’ husband died in a tragic accident.

Then something went wrong. Walter should have seen it coming, but didn’t. Perhaps because he was too busy thinking about the future, perhaps because Phyllis was the first woman to get into his head -- and stay there. Whatever the reason, he got exactly what he deserved, maybe even slightly more. Now he is tired -- not angry, just too damn tired.

Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity deserves all the praise it has received during the years -- it is a superbly acted and directed film, the type one would instantly refer to when one would argue that “they don’t make them like this anymore”.

The script is pure terrific. There are so many classic one-liners it is hard to believe that Wilder and the great novelist Raymond Chandler did not get along well while working on it. Some of the early exchanges between MacMurray and Stanwyck, for instance, are easily amongst the best ever scripted. There are other film noirs where the dialog is just as sharp, but the rhythm is often problematic. Here everything flows perfectly.

The direction is just as impressive. There isn’t a single sequence where one does not feel the tension. The film begins with a confession that reveals how it would end, but the story it tells is anything but predictable because there are character transformations that dramatically change one’s perceptions about the events taking place on the screen.

MacMurray and Stanwyck are superb. The former exudes just the right amount of cockiness for an experienced go-getter who could slip and make a crucial mistake. The latter looks seductive but often genuinely dangerous. She is the type of woman that could create a lot of problems for a man naïve enough to believe that he could have her. The ultimate femme fatale? I think so.

*In 1945, Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity was nominated for seven Oscar Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Stanwyck), and Best Cinematography (John F. Seitz).

Double Indemnity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray offer presentations of an exclusive new 4K restoration of Double Indemnity.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this 4K Blu-ray release:

"This new 4K digital restoration was created from a 35mm nitrate composite fine-grain held by the British Film Institute, which was scanned in 4K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner, in pinless/archival mode due to shrinkage of the film. A 35mm safety duplicate negative, created in 1986 from a fine-grain that now no longer exists, was used to replace frames missing from the BFI's element. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the nitrate fine-grain. On the 4K Blu-ray disc, the feature is presented in Dolby Vision HDR (high dynamic range). On the Blu-ray, it is presented in high-definition SDR (standard dynamic range).

Colorist: Lee Kline/Criterion Post, New York."

Please note that all of the screencaptures that are included with this review are taken from the 4K Blu-ray are downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual grayscale/color values of this content.

The native 4K presentation of the exclusive new 4K restoration of Double Indemnity confirms my initial impression that it is the strongest organic makeover we have seen to date. It will remain the definitive presentation of this classic film noir on the home video market as well. (You can see our review of the upcoming Blu-ray release here).

I did direct comparisons between this release, the new Blu-ray release (linked above), and Universal's Limited Edition Blu-ray release. In native 4K resolution, delineation, clarity, and depth are wonderful, so even on a very large screen the visuals are typically quite striking. Now, there are areas where density fluctuations that are inherited and density fluctuations that are introduced by the original cinematography produce minor fluctuations. (I took screencapture #9 from one such area so that you can see what to expect). However, in native 4K resolution these minor fluctuations look 'tighter' and the transitions appeared more even on my system. Furthermore, I expected the grayscale to reveal superior ranges of grays and blacks -- but grays in particular because there are many unique layers of shadows throughout the film -- and I can confirm that with Dolby Vision enabled the visuals are indeed richer and more attractive. (I took screencapture #2 to demonstrate the difference, but we do not currently display proper 4K sreencaptures in our reviews). So, in native 4K the dynamic range of the visuals is better. How much better? To be honest with you, I think that the new 4K restoration looks great in 1080p as well, but the difference is noticeable, so at the end it will probably depend on your appreciation of the type of strength that is associated with dynamic range. I personally think that the darker indoor and nighttime footage looks terrific now. Also, on the new 4K restoration I did not see any traces of grain management, so this is another positive that adds to the strength of visuals. Fluidity is really good. Finally, the entire film looks spotless. (Note: The 4K Blu-ray release is Region-Free).

Double Indemnity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I left some comments about the lossless track in our review of the Blu-ray release here. I do not have any new technical information to add here. While viewing the 4K Blu-ray release, I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report.

Double Indemnity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by critic Richard Schickel in 2006. The bulk of the comments address the production of Double Indemnity, its reputation as the "first true film noir", some of the major differences between James M. Cain's novel that inspired it and the screenplay, as well as the film's cultural significance and influence on other film noirs.

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by critic Richard Schickel in 2006. The bulk of the comments address the production of Double Indemnity, its reputation as the "first true film noir", some of the major differences between James M. Cain's novel that inspired it and the screenplay, as well as the film's cultural significance and influence on other film noirs.

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Double Indemnity. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Eddie Muller and Imogen Sara Smith - in this new program, critics Eddie Muller and Imogen Sara Smith discusses the stylistic identify of Double Indemnity, its tone and mood, James M. Cain's novel, and the film's lasting reputation as the "ultimate film noir picture". There are some quite interesting observations about some major and minor similarities and differences between Double Indemnity and other great film noirs. The program was produced for Criterion in February 2022. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• Shadows of Suspense - this archival documentary examines the roots, development, and popularity of film noir as well as its distinctive American qualities. Included in it are interviews with critic/author Eddie Muller, author Phil Cousineau William Friedkin (The French Connection), author James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential), critic Kim Newman, and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (The Natural), amongst others. A large portion of the documentary is dedicated to the production history and style of Double Indemnity. The documentary was produced in 2006. In English, not subtitled. (38 min).

• Noah Isenberg - in this new program, film scholar Noah Isenberg, editor of Billy Wilder on Assignment: Dispatches from Weimar Berlin and Interwar Vienna, discusses the Americanization of Billy Wilder, the evolution of his career, and the production of Double Indemnity. The program was produced for Criterion in February 2022. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• Radio Plays - presented here are two vintage radio adaptations of Double Indemnity. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. The Screen Guild Theater - broadcast on March 5, 1945, and starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. (30 min).
  2. Lux Radio Theatre - broadcast on October 30, 1950, and again starring the two stars of Double Indemnity. (57 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Billy, How Did You Do It? (1992) - this archival documentary was produced by Volker Schlöndorff and Gisela Grischow, and was broadcast as part of the BBC documentary program Arena. The documentary takes a closer look at Billy Wilder's extraordinary life and success in Hollywood as well as his working methods and lasting appeal of his films. Included in it are long interviews with the great director as well as plenty of archival footage. The documentary is broken into three episodes. In English, French, and German, with English subtitles where necessary.
  
  1. Episode One. (60 min).
  2. Episode Two. (62 min).
  3. Episode Three. (63 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring critic Angelica Jade Bastién's essay "The Black Heart of Double Indemnity", as well as technical credits.

Double Indemnity 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Is Billy Wilder's Double Indemnity the first true film noir, possibly the ultimate one as well? Frankly, folks, the answers to these questions are usually of some importance only to a very small group of critics and scholars. This film is pure dynamite and this is the only reason it will always be considered one of the all-time greatest. I don't even think that you have to view it through the prism of film noir to instantly recognize its brilliance, which is incredibly attractive and impossible not to admire. I have now seen the exclusive new 4K restoration of Double Indemnity in native 4K and think that it is absolutely magnificent. Let's hope that we will soon be treated with similar definitive 4K Blu-ray releases of The Big Heat and Gilda. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.