Jerry Hugard Blog 2

   In the novel Double Indemnity written by James M. Cain which first came to life when first published in 1935; and soon afterwards came to film in 1944 during the classic period of film-noir which began during 1941. In the words of Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton, this is noir at its finest, and I concur with this definition for this novel: "film noir is crime from within; from the point of the view of the criminal." As with this novel the main lead character Walter Huff speaks a narrative throughout the text describing the tone and mood and criminal behavior that was set into motion, spoken in his own words. This whole plot seemingly well planned in advance from years of observation in the insurance business and while he was learning from experience and watching persons collect on, or even try to collect on fraudulent claims and accident claims that were non-the-less fouled up murder schemes gone awry. He has put it together to do the same type of behavior but not the same mistakes; only when an opportune moment develops does he spring his planning into action.

   From the article"Primary Characteristics and conventions of film noir; Themes and Styles," I also sensed here a real truth that in these old noir films that the protagonists are almost always driven by their past human weaknesses and failures which subconsciously leads them to repeat former mistakes, in hopes of finding different outcomes such as Huff hopes to find in the midst of this scheme.

   I found the narrative by Walter Huff to set the tone and mood of a business type conman making pitches to consumers to attain his commission on all insurance contracts that he handles for his office that he works at, The General Fidelity of California. He's all business and knows his stuff; how to gain access to households and to businesses where undoubtedly he arrives unannounced and with out invitation, nor appointment, and knows how to sell the angle of the bid for insurance policies like they were the newest craze. And that's just what he did do with Mr. Nirdlinger finally.  He slipped him an accident policy to sign, whereas Mr. Nirdlinger only thought he was signing his auto  renewal insurance policy. This set in motion the rest of the plot to take Mr. Nirdlinger life with his accomplice which was his wife Phyllis Nirdlinger to whom Walter shows at first a deep devotion too. You see he has just sold his soul, his career, his future his very destiny, in order to kill a man for this woman. Walter Huff has become entrapped with this femme fatale, and he has done this thing to get her, her and a portion of the money. The mood and tone fit well with the description of primary moods of classic film noir which are melancholy, alienation, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, and paranoia. As the beginning of our story begins very melancholy, everyday routine drumming up business. But then ends up with paranoia and hidden guilty consciousnesses as the truth begins to be pieced together. Its not suicide they say, but they can't prove it. They conclude its murder, now they've set a trap and sit back and wait to see who shows up in the snare.

   I agree with "The dynamism of violent death," which has set the stage for such a mix of foul play and murder as I have not read up til now in a long time, gives suspense to this thriller; during Walter's narrative I became entranced and started to identify myself with both the criminals and the crime and I became an unsuspecting and willing accomplice.