FILMS… Purple Noon / Plein Soleil / Talented Mr Ripley (1960)

#1960s #AllPosts

 

The talented (and let’s face it, bloody gorgeous) M. Alain Delon…

 

Sorry, Matt Damon and John Malkovich, but there’s only one Tom Ripley in my head now.

 

Purple Noon (1960)

Marge, Philippe and Tom

Purple Noon (1960) US TRAILER [HD 1080p], HD Retro Trailers

 

My first introduction to Tom Ripley – the fiction anti-hero from writer, Patricia Highsmith – was in the movie, The Talented Mr Ripley (1999). I was more than intrigued about the fate of this character and then sought out the eponymous novel. To my joy, I learnt there were more adventures to come for this charismatic con man (and murderer). Then this year, and long after I became immersed in the book series about this man, a film loving friend recommended Purple Noon or Plein Soleil (1960).

Admittedly, it had been because the cast included my current crush Alain Delon, and I was then new to his work. I’d only seen Delon as a tres sexy, French pilot in The Concorde: Airport 1979 (1979) / Airport ’80: The Concorde (1980). More recently I’d spotted him in an Ingrid Bergman role, that I remember loving as a kid, and Delon as an Italian photographer… anyway I digress…

I learnt that in Purple Noon, Delon stars in his breakthrough role. This is a French language version of the novel, The Talented Mr Ripley. So, I was doubly intrigued for both of these reasons. My interest at a fever pitch, was further reignited after learning Delon was cast as this duplicitous character. So, I happily went back to this time and place, of the swinging 1960s.

My need to see this earlier film version of this novel was reinforced by the critic James Berardinelli, who added HERE,

“Almost every aspect of René Clément’s 1960 motion picture is superior to that of Minghella’s 1999 version, from the cinematography to the acting to the screenplay. Matt Damon might make a credible Tom Ripley, but only for those who never experienced Alain Delon’s portrayal.”

So naturally, I was keen to “experience” more of Alain Delon, in the name of writing this review.

We see Delon immediately after those animated opening credits, as we go to Rome. The incredibly handsome – put poor – Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) shows his skills – dare I say talents – for recreating fake signatures. This impresses his rich companion, Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet). These two men have a fun banter between them, as Tom tries to make his friend feel better for deserting his girlfriend, Marge whom he left alone to go galivanting with Tom.

Philippe’s friend Freddie (Billy Kearns) arrives on the scene with a couple of ladies in tow. Freddie dislikes Tom as he thinks he takes advantage of his rich friend. Freddie looks down on Tom, and the affluent Philippe sticks up for Tom. Philippe tells Freddie that he knows that Tom Ripley is a man on a mission, as he knows he’s there to take Freddie back home to San Francisco to work in the family business.

Philippe’s father – who employed Tom to do this – will give Tom 5000 dollars on delivery of his son. Philippe however confides with Freddie, that he won’t be giving up his current lifestyle. Philippe is enjoying his life of leisure in Italy, with his allowance money to burn on himself, Italian women, drinking and hanging out with his steady girlfriend Marge Duval (Marie Laforêt). Philippe arranges to meet Freddie at a later date and they part ways.

Tom enjoys Philippe’s lifestyle and friendship and their camaraderie is seen after they buy a cane after haggling with a blind man. Tom then shows more of his talents in masquerade, he pretends to be blind, yet nearly gets run over by a car. Philippe shows him his talents in this con too, but by getting a pretty girl to help his now “blind man” cross the road safely.

The three share a horse and carriage ride and both men make out with this woman, until Philippe demands she’s only his. After she discovers Philippe isn’t blind, she buys this cane from Philippe for an increased price, she leaves the men and accidentally leaves her earrings behind. Tom keeps the woman’s expensive earrings and puts them in his pocket without the others noticing.

After they take a boat, they visit Marge in Mongibello. It’s clear Philippe wants time alone with her, and to Tom’s dismay – and growing frustration – he has no intentions of keeping his promise to go home to America. Tom is disappointed, as he needs the money.

While the loved-up pair make out, Tom spends the time trying on Philippe’s clothes, styling his hair like his friend and then impersonating his voice and mannerisms. He pretends he is chatting up an imaginary Marge, by calling her Philippe’s pet name for her, kitten. Philippe notices him doing all of this and is a bit freaked out and appalled by him, especially after he notices Tom kissing his own reflection in the mirror.

Tom learns that Philippe’s father is withdrawing his financial offer after Philippe continues to state he has no intentions of returning to San Francisco. The three then take a yacht to Taormina, and it’s clear that Tom is beginning to irritate Philippe. Tom is annoyed with Philippe and tries again to get him to return home. Tom tries to delay the cancellation of the financial agreement with Philippe’s father, by telling Philippe that he cabled his father to say they are returning soon to America as they agreed to this in Rome.

Philippe becomes increasingly annoyed with him and is nasty to Tom. He tells Marge, he believes it is a case of two’s company and three a crowd. Tom overhears this conversation, and he is left to steer the boat while the lovers make out down below. Tom shakes the boat deliberately and after Philippe asks Tom to rescue the small boat dinghy, Tom goes to this small rowing boat although he can’t swim.

After the rope snaps which connects these boats, Philippe leaves his shirtless friend in this small boat, in the hot sun to teach him a lesson. However, the small boat is set adrift while Philippe has a romantic time with Marge, and he doesn’t notice this. On discovering Tom’s boat is missing and then going back to find his friend, Tom is near collapse, badly sunburnt and angry with Philippe.

Tom tells Marge he knew Philippe as a child. Philippe denies this to Marge. Tom – still angry about the boat incident – puts the earrings in Philippe’s pocket in the hope that Marge will find them, and she does. The two lovers fight as she questions him about the other women in his life. Philippe notices that Tom has obtained his bank statements and confronts Tom about this and the earrings incident. After Tom confesses to these and that he had thought of killing him, Philippe and he have a hypothetical talk about how he would have done this and what he would do afterwards.

Marge is even more annoyed with Philippe after he throws her research papers into the sea, and she leaves the men on arrival on the coast. After the two men take a trip alone, we see Tom’s deadly plan put into action as they play cards. Tom kills Philippe after he cheats at cards and disposes of this man’s body overboard wrapped in a blanket.

Before leaving the boat, Tom takes Philippe’s typewriter to type letters to Marge and Tom’s family to prove Philippe is still alive. He practices his friend’s signature and he then masquerades as his friend wearing expensive clothes and he stays in plush hotels… Then one night, there is a knock at the door of  (Philippe’s) apartment and Freddie has come to visit.

I really lost myself in the stylish, glamorous and mesmeric version of this Patricia Highsmith novel. Roger Ebert expertly describes Tom’s character HERE,

Ripley is a criminal of intelligence and cunning who gets away with murder. He’s charming and literate, and a monster.

I agreed with his accurate appraisal of Alain Delon’s role, and Delon showed those attributes credibly. I was hypnotised by Delon’s performance and his appearance added to these character traits as a chiselled, boyishly handsome anti-hero. As his character, Tom, he was always charismatic and outwardly genial with everyone.

In Delon’s performance, he seduces you into believing in his character’s behaviours and actions, as you trust his murderous intentions and allow his cunning motivations. This story piles on suspense, by showing some scenes where you are literally anxious for this protagonist. You are on the edge of your seat as you watch those unfolding events and those that follow murder in real time. These are laced with moments where you believe Tom will get his comeuppance.

Tom seems a mostly remorseless character with his plans to make it rich, no matter what the cost. You wonder if he premeditated his friend’s murder from the start of their friendship after he expertly disposes of Philippe’s body. As this plan comes to fruition, he calmly collects Philippe’s bank statements and his friend’s typewriter, passport and money. And he then goes for his girl… with a vulnerable Marge, trusting this baby blue eyed killer way too much.

Later in a montage, we see Tom create the appearance that Philippe is still alive. He meticulously collects together the equipment he needs to forge Philippe’s signature, then he practices this signature and he falsifies Philippe’s passport with his own picture with a well thought out plan.

Delon convincingly juggles the two roles of Philippe and his character, Tom. With Tom’s quick thinking and manipulating events in his favour, he easily avoids any detection and suspicion, as he lives the high life. All this is done, without any fear or concerns, and for the most part, you hope that his character will get away with his murderous actions.

Like Highsmith, I agreed that this film had a flawless Delon performance, but was disappointed that it has a different ending to her novel. I am sure she would have been reassured that in this current world of sequels, her later novels of this novel would have been tributed and possibly with the same actor. One can only hope for this in future adaptations of this novel.

It’s a shame, that Delon did not have this acting opportunity back in the 1960s. Delon was credible and shone in this role. As the novel had some wonderful follow-up books, I would happily have watched Delon take on this role, again and again.

If I read these books again soon, I will quickly be casting Delon as I recreate Tom Ripley in my imagination. As much as I liked the other cast members, I was sad that lovely Romy Schneider only starred in a far too wee cameo at the start of the film. Admittedly, I had hoped she would be playing Marge.

I am tempted to try to watch a recently discovered Tom Ripley film from the 1970s. This was after the third of these novels, Ripley’s Game was filmed in 1977 as The American Friend. It stars none other than Dennis Hopper as Tom Ripley. But in the meantime, I will try and forget the cast from this film and the 1999 remake of The Talented Mr Ripley with Matt Damon in the Ripley role.

This could be paraphrasing the song from The Yellow Rolls Royce (1964). This song was kinda half sung by Alain Delon in his character in this movie, and now for this French adaptation, Forget Domani takes on a new meaning…

Damon forget Damon
Let’s live for now and anyhow
Who needs Damon?
The spotlight, let’s share the moonlight
Perhaps Ripley will never be again.

 

Weeper Rating: 😦😦😦😦 /10

Handsqueeze Rating: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂/10

Hulk Rating: ‎  ‎ /10

 

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The Blogathon & the Beast Blogathon 2023, No 22

This review was entered into CMBA‘s Blogathon & the Beast Blogathon.  Alain Delon also starred in The Yellow Rolls Royce and The Concorde: Airport 1979 / Airport ’80: The Concorde. He also appears in my casting of Dark Excursions: The Complete Set (2015) by John L Harmon. 

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