Great noir: Criterion’s restored ‘Double Indemnity’

Above : Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray star in “Double Indemnity,” a restored version of which will be released on Blu-ray in May by the Criterion Collection. (Photo/Paramount Pictures)

An old friend of mine has spent much of the pandemic catching up on classic cinema. And a lot of what he has been watching is classic noir.

Though it was influenced by films of the 1930s, and follows themes and styles from German Expressionism (think Fritz Lang’s 1931 film “M” ), American noir flowered mostly in the 1940s and early 1950s.

Film scholars debate exactly what constitutes noir because so many different examples of it exist. But most would agree that such films as Lang’s “The Big Heat” (1953), Howard Hawks’ “The Big Sleep” (1946) and John Huston’s “The Maltese Falcon” (1941) rate among the best.

As is Billy Wilder’s “Double Indemnity” (1944). Starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck, and based on the novel by James M. Cain, “Double Indemnity” has all the noir earmarks: stark black and white cinematography, a sense of greed, mistrust and murder, not to mention Stanwyck as the ultimate femme fatale.

Wilder’s film is available in a variety of formats. You can stream it on a number of services, from Amazon Prime to YouTube. But it’s also one of the films that is listed on the Criterion Collection’s May DVD release schedule.

What’s new about Criterion’s offer? Two different options, a three-disc 4K UHD+Blu-Ray combo and two-disc Blu-Ray. Special features include 4K digital restoration, audio commentary by Richard Schickel, an interview with film scholar Noah Isenberg and more.

So, you have a number of options. But if you still have a DVD player, and want to add a totally restored version of “Double Indemnity” to your home library, Criterion’s May release would seem to be a good choice.

However you watch it, though, know that you’re in the presence of greatness. I mean, if nothing else, this quote – by the character played by Edward G. Robinson – captures the very essence of noir:

“Murder’s never perfect,” he says. “Always comes apart sooner or later, and when two people are involved it’s usually sooner.”