How does Body Heat differ from Double Indemnity in its depiction of sex and crime?

The primary differences between Double Indemnity (1944) and Body Heat (1981) regarding their depiction of sex and crime stem from the evolution of film censorship and the transition from classic film noir to neo-noir.

Depiction of Sex

In Double Indemnity, the depiction of the affair between the protagonists is markedly chaste, as the film was produced under the Hays Office Code. This self-regulatory standard prohibited explicit portrayals of illicit sex, forcing filmmakers to rely on oblique references, shadows, or symbolism to suggest intimacy. In contrast, Body Heat was produced after the demise of the Hays Code, allowing for a much more graphic and overt depiction of the sexual relationship between its leads.1

Depiction of Crime and Justice

The two films also diverge significantly in their moral outcomes:

• Justice and Punishment: Classic noir films like Double Indemnity were required to adhere to the "crime doesn't pay" mandate, ensuring that immoral characters were punished by the film's end. Consequently, the femme fatale in Double Indemnity "gets her due".21
• Moral Ambiguity: As a neo-noir, Body Heat reflects a modern sensibility where the femme fatale is not bound by the same moral constraints. Unlike her predecessor, the character in Body Heat emerges triumphant, subverting the traditional expectation of retribution.13