Near the beginning of Double Indemnity, one of the first scenes we get is the main character, Walter, narrates the ending of the story as a way to get the reader hooked. He talks about how he got roped into a murder, either leaning on a cane or talking into a reciever. The shot is upper body, focusing on the face with distinct shadows yet overall good lighting so we can see the emotions (or lack thereof) as he narrates this terrible thing that’s happened to him. Although we know from the beginning that he fell for a girl and murdered someone, the question remains: how?
From there, we get into that how. The scene cuts to a new one, now in the past from that first scene when he meets Phyllis. There is some narration on top of this scene at the beginning, to set it up, but fades away quickly as Walter enters Phyllis’ home. From there, we get to see some blocking and its terms in power.
In the shot above, Walter is taller than the housekeeper, dwarfing her even though she was in the house first. He is in a position of power. However, both have to look up for Phyllis’ entrance on the top of the grand stairwell. She, despite her position of power in terms of blocking, is only wearing a towel showing her vulnerability. Or, perhaps, a hint towards Walter’s vulnerability of her and how he sees her.
They then progress through several rooms and talk, but the opening to this scene in combination with the last scene was super interesting because of how both set up events for the future.
