MovieChat Forums > Double Indemnity (1944) Discussion > To those who complain about the dialogue...

To those who complain about the dialogue...

posted 17 years ago by Miro101
62 replies | jump to latest

Many modern (and younger--that is, under-thirty) viewers often complain about the dialogue in Double Indemnity, calling it "cheesy" or "unnatural." To make this criticism, however, is to ignore context and thus to miss the point.

Most dialogue in movies--particularly in movies made during the Hollywood Golden Age--is heightened and stylized. It's a convention. When we go to the movies, we usually expect the characters to talk in a way that distills the essence of human conversation. If movie talk exactly duplicated the way people talk, movies wouldn't be an art form. It's that simple.

Well, it's almost that simple. I know that the "hardboiled" narration and dialogue in Double Indemnity may strike modern viewers as REALLY sytlized--perphaps to a fault. But, of course, this hardboiled stylization (which includes the many, many times Neff calls Phyllis "Baby") is another convention--a convention of the pulp crime/detective fiction made popular by such writers as James M. Cain and Raymond Chandler, both of whose names are listed in the credits of Double Indemnity.

Movie conventions are defined as an agreement between filmmaker and viewer that certain rules--even patently phony ones, by certain standards of realism--will be accepted. (That's why, to invoke another genre, viewers accept Julie Andrews bursting into song on a mountaintop.)

The over-the-top tough talk and fancy, self-conscious figurative language in Double Indemnity are just part of the genre. Those who accept this fact will surely find the film even more enjoyable.

[–] showerhead 17 years ago

No complaints about the dialogue from me...I thought it was pretty good.

[–] wax1802 16 years ago

To those who complain about the dialogue, I'd tell them "You're gonna hang, Baby. Just as sure as two nickels make a dime."

[–] sage2112 9 years ago

... and ten dimes will buy ya a dollar.

[–] Siriry 16 years ago

I LOVE the dialogue, it's perfect!

Siri

Don't Make Me Have to Release the Flying Monkeys!

[–] The_tim 15 years ago

Are there any pre 1950s black n white films that don't have stylized dialogue?!

[–] Kinematico 16 years ago

How come somebody could complain about such wonderful dialogues? IMO only Superhero fanboys who aren't happy if the there aren't some huge explosions, fights and car chasings each 10 min.

The speech by Edward G. Robinson's character (Keyes) about why the death of Mr. Dietrichson couldn't be a suicide, it's one of the greatest speeches ever seen on the screen:

..."Come now, you've never read an actuarial table in your life, have you? Why they've got ten volumes on suicide alone. Suicide by race, by color, by occupation, by sex, by seasons of the year, by time of day. Suicide, how committed: by poison, by firearms, by drowning, by leaps. Suicide by poison, subdivided by TYPES of poison, such as corrosive, irritant, systemic, gaseous, narcotic, alkaloid, protein, and so forth. Suicide by leaps, subdivided by leaps from high places, under the wheels of trains, under the wheels of trucks, under the feet of horses, from STEAMBOATS. But, Mr. Norton: Of all the cases on record, there's not one single case of suicide by leap from the rear end of a moving train...

nuff said.

[–] pelscc2000 13 years ago

Love that speech!!!

[–] swlabr 9 years ago

Best dialogue in the movie. And it's ALL good!

[–] lyndawhitt70-1 9 years ago

Fantastic! Loved it!

[–] roorybacky 16 years ago

I've found the dialogs OK. It's right that sometimes it's cheesy (that MacMuray's BABY every minute was killing me), but still pretty decent if you consider the fact how old that movie is and how much changed since then to know.

[–] greenbudgie 8 years ago

It is Fred MacMurray's insistent "baby" that perhaps sounds so phony when I listen to that dialogue. But the lines are good and so I can forgive that overuse.

[–] brad_13 16 years ago

When we go to the movies, we usually expect the characters to talk in a way that distills the essence of human conversation. If movie talk exactly duplicated the way people talk, movies wouldn't be an art form. It's that simple.

I really have to disagree with you there seeing as there are plenty of films which have people interact and converse the way they do in real life. John Cassavetes' films are a prime example.

[–] roosfelt 16 years ago

I completely agree with the opening poster. I'm glad someone said it. These days it seems that anything vaguely imaginative or stylised in movies automatically garners less respect. Obviously true-to-life/realistic movies can be awesome (if done well) but i don't think you should dismiss a movie (and especially the dialogue of a movie) just because its not necessarily what you would come across in real life. After all, to quote Hitchcock, its only a movie!

[–] steve2901 16 years ago

I love the dialogue. I don't find it cheesey because it's generic of film noir. People are too picky these days - it's a movie, if you want realism, get a better social life.

[–] alliedbiscuitmafia 16 years ago

I'm young--17--and I've loved this film for a while. It really is almost an acquired taste, I think. I've tried to show this movie to a few of my friends, and they can't stand it (probably more because it's in black and white--why does that scare people away from such masterpieces?). From now on, I'm keeping the film to myself until these kids grow up. You can't exactly reason with them right now. Soon, they'll grow tired of what's on screen at the multiplex and look toward the past for real entertainment.

[–] jaygill-1 16 years ago

Atta <boy/girl> Steffinator3! For younger folk (even those of us in our 40's whose parents would watch these films when we were kids), I believe it is an acquired taste. Very well put. :-)

[–] jgroub 15 years ago

The dialogue is amazing. And MacMurray's "baby" is awesome.

I asked the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] km9000 15 years ago

I love the dialogue too. When I re-watched this, the snappy banter just had me grinning ear-to-ear.

I'm curious though if this degree of stylized dialogue (and Neff's monologues) were typical of the noir genre, or if they were in fact a satire of the genre, either in a subtle or overt manner?

I've seen a few movies like it (such as The Big Sleep), but the words never quite draw attention to themselves as they do here.

[–] everlone_2000 15 years ago

I'm curious though if this degree of stylized dialogue (and Neff's monologues) were typical of the noir genre, or if they were in fact a satire of the genre, either in a subtle or overt manner?

I would say it's unquestionably satirical. Unquestionably. Not just because it's Billy Wilder directing, and he's sly like that, but because the main character is an insurance salesman. To me, that makes it hilarious. It's taking the frumpiest job in the world and reinventing it as a hard-boiled, fast-talking tough guy game. It's a brilliant, timeless gag the easily survives the duration of the film, but it's definitely tongue in cheek. Next time you ring up to get your house insurance renewed, try imagining the guy on the other end of the phone as MacMurray, and you'll see what I mean.

If people find the dialogue cheesy, or unnatural... then I'm afraid they're not getting the joke on some level. It might be tempting to think that Sin City invented this kind of noir-satire, but writers and directors started playing games with the genre pretty much as soon as it was established. These are smart guys with a sense of humour and with a movie like this their having some real fun with the form.