Double Indemnity- Walter Neff

1.      In film noir, many of the male leads are weak, frustrated men. While you are watching Double Indemnity, make a mental note of Walter Neff’s characteristics. What kind of man is he? What is his relationship like with women?

 

In the beginning Walter Neff is shown as a serious businessman on a usual visit to remind of an automobile policy renewal. He is very serious and tries to speak to Mr. Dietrichson but when he is not available he talks to Mrs. Dietrichson who is very flirty and mischievous.  When Mrs. Dietrichson insinuates that she is contemplating murdering her husband Mr. Dietrichson quickly states that he wants no part in it. Through this first scene Walter Neff is seen as a businessman who is classy, with his suit and tie, and is carrying on about his normal schedule. As soon as Mrs. Dietrichson begins to flirt with him he returns the favor showing that he is interested in women and even married ones which is a bad thing.

      As the plot and story develop Mr. Neff shows that he is interested in a married women and his involvement with her leads to some horrible things, including murder. This shows that he is the typical male role as he is weak and gives in to what Mrs. Dietrichson wants because he is very attracted to her. Mr. Neff is a weak man that is trying to live a normal life but gets caught up in relationships far too easily which lead to terrible endings. As for his relationship with women, it is obvious that when he is attracted to someone he is willing to do anything for them which is an awful characteristic to have. Walter Neff helps Mrs. Dietrichson to murder her husband and hopefully receive double the face value of his insurance.

      Love can make you do crazy things, but I don’t exactly think what Neff and Mrs. Dietrichson had was love. In the end Walter Neff ends up killing Mrs. Dietrichson suggesting that they may not have been in love as much as it seemed to be. Mr. Neff’s relationship with women is far too serious far too quickly he doesn’t even know Mrs. Dietrichson and does all of these things for her. Later in the film, Mr. Neff also meets the victim’s daughter. She is far too young for a serious relationship so Mr. Neff begins to talk to her and learn about her background. This shows he also cares for women. Overall, Mr. Neff is a typical businessman who is weak and his relationship with women is far too serious but also caring.