There is almost certainly only one heroic character in Double Indemnity. The only possible answer is that of Barton Keyes.
T Ill spend the majority of this answer discussing why Barton Keyes is the only understandable notion of a hero in Double Indemnity. Friend to the Walter Neff, Keyes and Neff spend much the movie talking things over. Even before the case of the double indemnity it is clear the Keyes is a sort of icon for Neff. keyes, even the face of his boss' meltdown, seeks to correct the attitude he takes towards policy holders. Keyes stands up to even figures which should be above his power (his boss, his suspicion that it was more than an accident, and finally Neff's confession) and bravely confronts them.
When Keyes himself convinces his boss to dismiss the case as an accident, he instead takes up the investigation on his own. Keyes risks his own life investigating a potentially murderous case just to keep his boss and company out of a legal battle with Phyllis. While he is guided by his own "gut feeling" his sense of righteous justice is clear in his pursuit of the truth. He may merely work for an insurance company but he has the morals of a hero.
Even when Keyes is faced with his own friends confession of the crime, he remains calm. He almost pities his friend for falling into such an unfortunate trap. As Neff sits recording his confession, Keyes is feels anguish over his friends fate. Keyes was perhaps the most morally upright character in the entirety of the film. While Neff fell to lust, Phyllis, Mr Dietrickson, and his boss all feel to greed, Keyes remained morally upright. Everyone else in this movie had an apparent moral collision, except for Keyes. Throughout tough cases and fallen friends, Keyes remained the only glimmer of decency in Double Indemnity. Anyone who claims another character from the movie was heroic is likely grasping for straws which Keyes himself played a role in.
(Keyes trying to teach Neff his heroic ways)
Hey Hunna,
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog post! (And by the way I totally agree that Keyes is the hero.) I loved your explanation of why Keyes was the hero of Double Indemnity but it would have made your post stronger if you included some counterarguments. Also watch out for grammatical/typing errors.
Hunter,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dawson. I like how you describe and show Keyes as the hero. I also agree with Dawson with the idea that your point would be more concrete and more definite if you could provide counter arguments or examples as to why no one else in the story could be the hero. I believe that these counter examples would provide a better backing for why Keyes is the only true hero.