Myriam Nys A superbly atmospheric thriller with an excellent plot and a dream cast. The indisputable star of the show is Alain Delon, more beautiful than ever, who gives the performance of his life as an amoral drifter with a liking for the high life. The expressions on his face may shift and vary but his eyes tend to maintain their blank emptiness, hinting at an almost reptilian otherness. One can easily believe that he is some kind of vampire, killing people and stealing their identity because this is the only way of propping up an hollow interior.Delon's Tom may be a monster, but he is not the only one behaving monstrously : there's a lot of bad behavior going on, fed by such unlovely fuels as entitlement, class consciousness, lack of imagination and unacknowledged homoerotic longing. The satire may be ferocious, but it's also ferociously accurate, showing the dark underside of this whole "having a gap year and bumming around Europe at daddy's expense" phenomenon. (Well, in this case we're talking more about having a gap decade, but you know what I mean.) There is a considerable contrast between the vibrant, generous beauty of the natural environment and the vile shenanigans going on between the humans. This gives the movie a surprising depth and grandeur : it almost becomes a sermon, condensing and recapitulating the Fall of Man, who was given every possible physical and mental advantage, who was offered a place of innocence and plenty, and who still succeeded in finding perdition. Milton would have loved it.The ending, I seem to remember, differs from the ending in the book which is the movie's source material. I can only say that it works well for the movie, giving the whole a final and satisfying twist.

gavin6942 Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) is a talented mimic, moocher, forger and all-around criminal improviser; but there is more to Tom Ripley than even he can guess.Roger Ebert gave "Purple Noon" three stars (compared to the four-star review he gave to the 1999 version of "The Talented Mr. Ripley"), writing that "the best thing about the film is the way the plot devises a way for Ripley to create a perfect cover-up". Ebert is probably in the minority here, as it is hard to see how a remake forty years later can surpass the original when the original is done so well.The underlying theme is "the artist as criminal", and it's interesting. When does a crime become a work of art? Is it in the eye of the beholder? Or there a craft to it?

dlee2012 This modest French film from 1960 has dated quite badly compared to the nouvelle vague offerings that came out at the same time.The static camera work, elaborate sets and stilted, formal acting must have already seemed quite tired by the time it reached the cinema and the intervening years have not been kind. It feels, in many ways like a French attempt to do a Steve McQueen-style Hollywood film.Despite the dated style, this remains an effective character study of a sociopath. Delon's villain is amoral and lacking in any visible trace of compassion as he murders his friend and seeks to take control of his fortune only to be undone by his own arrogance and sloppiness. The transitions from playfulness to murderousness to fear are well-handled and one gains an insight into his shallow, greed-driven world.The bright colour photography unfortunately contrasts with the dark, brooding nature of the tale, further undermining the story.There is little innovation in the editing and the minor characters, such as the female love interest, are little more than ciphers.One cannot help but feel that this story, based on an American novel, has lost something in its transition between cultures. With better direction and a little more thought, this could have become a classic. Instead it feels like a strange dinosaur, caught between the old and the new.

Prof-Hieronymos-Grost Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) is a handsome and unassuming young man that hides a dark secret, he's a talented forger, impersonator and all round conman and opportunist. He seizes one such moment, when he claims to be a lifelong friend of Philipe Greenleaf and gains employment from his parents, who want their playboy son to return home to the US. Ripley befriends Philipe in Rome again claiming they were friends as children, Philipe doesn't believe it for a minute, but he enjoys Ripleys company, although doesn't show it much, preferring to treat him like a dog. While sailing on Philipe's yacht, Ripley is confronted by Philipe who claims he knows what he's up to, he's not wrong, Ripley kills him and then assumes his identity, but how long can he keep up two identities, as Philipe's friends and family seek him out, not to mention the growing police interest? I guess the better known adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's Mr Ripley novel these days is Anthony Minghela's The Talented Mr Ripley, which is a shame as this is a super version of the story. Ripley is a despicable character is many ways, but because its Delon playing him, this viewer was almost rooting for him to succeed and get way with his dastardly plan, its hard not to take to him as he sits astride a yacht, bronzed body, wind blowing in his hair like some Greek God returning to Olympus, its only his blood stained hands that blows this myth. The film is beautifully filmed, in stunning locations, the ever present brilliant sunshine being a perfect juxtaposition against the dark deeds taking place within. Its unusual to see Delon play a demure character, but he shows his range and he pulls it off in style because we know behind it all there is an amoral man (perhaps even insane) trying to get out. One scene that sticks out, is the aftermath of the crime on the yacht, as the sea suddenly swells and Ripley struggles to control the yacht and also cover up his deeds from the prying eyes of a nearby ship, its power is quite breathtaking, the danger for Delon must have been very real. Clement has crafted a slow burner of a thriller, the script being very thrifty and lean, the film being engrossing and full of life.