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Double Indemnity

The 1940's was an interesting time period for women as their roles in society changed rather frequently. Initially, they had little to no rights within the job force, earning significantly less than their male counterparts for completing the same tasks. With the onset of World War II, factories were in desperate need of workers as most of their employees were drafted to the war. Women were then able to step up to the plate and take over the jobs that normally would have been filled by men. Women began to be seen in a more powerful way and were beginning to be looked at as more than house wives and caretakers. However, this newly formed power didn't last too long as the return of soldiers brought widespread wage cuts and layoffs for women. The powerful image that society once held towards women, swiftly changed as the original mindset of gender roles began to resurface. 

In the film, "Double Indemnity", Barbara Stanwyck's character, Phyllis Dietrichson,was portrayed in a variety of ways just like that of women's rights in the 1940's. In the opening scene where we first see Phyllis, she is conveyed in a very sexual, yet rather powerful manor that reflects the way in which women tend to be seen for more of their physical attributes than their psychological. We see Phyllis for the first time standing on the second level of her home wearing nothing but a towel. The angle used to convey this scene, was that of a high angle which is used to make the person or object look superior or powerful in relation to the audience or in this case, Walter Neff. To Walter, Phyllis was mesmerizing with her iconic ankle bracelet and exposed legs walking down the staircase. Accompanied by a tracking shot and high contrast lighting, the audience is taken along this stroll, never losing sight of her features. As a result, Walter sees her as a beautiful, yet unattainable woman that he would love to some how get the chance to be with; and to the audience, she is seen as a woman that could do no wrong. 

Of course Phyllis doesn't remain in this innocent role as she gradually becomes more and more deceitful as the film progresses. The audience is able to see just how manipulative she can be in order to get what she desires. No better scene depicts these character traits as the scene that occurs around the 1 hour and 35 minute mark where Phyllis is sitting on a chair smoking a cigarette and Walter comes in to confront her about her perpetual lies. This scene is the complete opposite of the one discussed in the previous paragraph as Phyllis is displayed on both a low angle, and shown in extremely low key lighting. These contrasting scenarios truly show the shifting in characters along with their roles. The intense dark lighting correlates with Phyllis' manipulate and evil demeanor while the low angle suggests that because of her actions she is now seen as less than or subhuman in relation to both the audience as well as Walter. Walter has lost all forms of respect for her, as he is now putting the pieces together in terms of all of her disturbing crimes she has committed. 

This last scene shows a lot about the views towards women during the 1940's as it seems to convey the message that a women who is too overtly sexual, or too powerful, must have some level of deceit within her. This furthers the notion during the 40's that women should be sweet, covered, house wives who are soft spoken and always obey their husbands. Essentially, this film seems to say to not trust women who own their sexuality because they'll be able to use their bodies to get anything they desire.