Techniques Used to Establish the First Person Narrator and Perspective in Double Indemnity and Murder, My Sweet

Abstract

Directed by Billy Wilder and Edward Dmytryk respectively, the films noir Double Indemnity (1944) and Murder, My Sweet (1944) each have a storyline that unfolds from a first person perspective as told by a narrator. The techniques used in the films establish this first person perspective through which the films are understood. Both films include voice over as a technique, which determines who the narrator is and the amount of information withheld or disclosed to the audience. Establishing the visual perspective of the narrator is portrayed through differently for each film. While, Double Indemnity utilizes camera angle, Murder, My Sweet uses camera filters and special effects. Lastly, to achieve the first person narration, the character narrating in each film must be present in every scene or give explanation of events that occur in his absence. The various techniques used in each film function cohesively to establish the narrator and achieve his perspective through which the plot is understood by the audience.