Blog Post #8

2.        Double Indemnity contains several elements in its setting, storyline, and characters that creates a generally dark and depressing atmosphere. The setting itself play a major role in this, as well as the cinematography. Most of the movie takes place indoors, in dimly lit, smokey rooms. This creates an ominous mood even before the action of the movie begins and destroys any cheeriness in the movie. Furthermore much of the movie happens at night which adds to the mood of secrecy that is brought about by the characters and other settings. The cinematography also adds to these aspects. In the outdoor scene the characters are often to the side of the screen, hiding or wishing to not draw attention such as when Walter hides in the bushes from Niko. Also the dim lighting combined with small spaces indoors forces the camera close to the characters which makes their grim facial expressions more noticeable, further making the film seem more serious and morbid.
          The storyline also goes to create a depressing and dark film, as it only displays the bad in humanity. Walters lust leads him to commit murder for a person he barely knows, showing an outstanding man in society so easily corruptible. Also when he and Phyllis turn on one another and he has to trap Niko to get out of suspicion, he turns on the only person he thought he could trust making the story more depressing.
          Lastly the characters create a "Black Film" in their actions and in their dress. Throughout the film, Walter wears dark, formal attire making him seem very stiff and depressed. He never wears a light colored jacket and is constantly wearing an overcoat as well, which has become associated with suspicious activity in modern society. Phyllis isn't dressed as grimly in the movie, and plays more to the promiscuous role, as seen in the first scene where she isn't wearing clothes at all, only a towel. Also the personas they take on, both premeditative and lacking compassion, add to the depressing and dark nature of the film/film style.
     

Macduff's Netflix

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"Braveheart"
A movie about a Scottish man whose village is attacked by the English and wife is murdered. He goes on to lead a motley crew of Scotsmen against the English army and has a great monologue before the final battle. Macduff would love this movie because it too portrays a deep love of Scotland and the fight against a tyrant over what is right, which is one of his favorite things. Also, it doesn't say that Macduff didn't have blue face paint in the final battle of Macbeth.


"Gladiator"
A movie about a great commander of the Roman army who is very close with the ailing emperor. The emperor's son murders his family and the emperor and attempts to kill him too. Russell Crowe then comes back and reveals his identity after becoming a beloved gladiator and kills Joaquin Phoenix (the new emperor) in front of all of Rome. This is perfect for Macduff because it might as well have been ripped right out of the plot of Macbeth. Macduff's family is murdered by the king's murderer, like in gladiator, and also he goes on the kill the man who betrayed the beloved leader.


"Prison Break"
A TV show about a man whose brother is wrongly sentenced to death for a murder he didn't commit. He also conveniently designed the prison that his brother is incarcerated at, and he goes in to break him out, hence the name. This applies to Macduff, because he isn't afraid to go against the government to do what he knows is right, just like Michael Skofield (the main character of Prison Break). Furthermore they are both motivated in their fights by family.


The Hunger Games Mockingjay part I and II
Do I really need to summarize? Katniss Everdeen fights against the capital as a symbol of the rebellion following the end of the quarter quell. She see's the damage to her old district and it motivates her to fight and reinspires her to hate the capital. This is something Macduff would like because it involves a fight against an unjust government, and a main character that is motivated by the loss of their family/home. They use this anger to go through with their fight against the corrupt government and in the end, both triumph.