Question #4.
(Paraphrased for time)
Is there a hero in Double Indemnity? If so, who?
For a film that was selected to be preserved in the Library of Congress, it's hard to believe that Double Indemnity wouldn't have a hero. Unless we are speaking of a documentary, it's difficult to think of any film or type of story that typically doesn't have a hero. Double Indemnity doesn't have a true hero, but thankfully, a great story doesn't have to. All we need is a plot that rises and falls, and a main character, and we've been learning that since the 3rd grade (I think).
A hero is meant to be someone that the readers can both relate to but also someone that they can look up too and strive to be in some ways; one who is similar to them but also better. Certainly, we can all relate to some characters in the film. Those of us who have ever been in a bad relationship can understand Phyllis's sad situation, but maybe not her desired methods to get out, or wanting to get the most out of her husband's potential worth in the process. Any of us who have every been lovestruck by a person we just met know why Walter wanted to help Phyllis, but maybe question his thought process. And we all can relate to wanting more money or power or a higher up position in society, but maybe we don't relate to their desire to go as far as breaking the law and taking another's life to achieve this.
That's where Double Indemnity goes wrong in the hero category. While we may be appreciative of the supplying of a police force to protect us, I doubt very many of us were hoping that the police and insurance investigation was going to catch Walter and Phyllis. Yet we weren't exactly rooting for them to get away either, at least I wasn't. The film put me in a different situation than I'm used to in a movie, where I didn't feel compelled to support a character or role in the movie. Not bad, just different. While the film was mostly told in Walter's flashback, not having a bias toward's a hero allowed for more of the story to be told, in my opinion. Double Indemnity was different in this area, but that may have made it a better, more refreshing way to tell a story.
