Purple Noon

"4.25⭐️ I saw this in anticipation of the Netflix series release (which I’ve now been watching for weeks 😬). This original French version (with English subtitles) of The Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Alain Delon, is arresting to watch..remarkably clear and crisply pristine as if it were filmed today. Given that it’s almost 65 years old it looks as if it could be restored, but in any event I can only imagine how spectacular it was to see in a theater in 1960 with its bright Italian imagery and color palette. Though a little plodding in detail this is a slicker Ripley than the new show or ‘99 film. Delon is no bland wallpaper version who can be palely overlooked, but more a bon vivant interloper who casually brushes off odd behavior with a quick quip and laugh. He is, though, as complex and serpentine as the other iterations. Like the later film this one highlights the beautiful allure of wealth and easy living with the envy it evokes in Ripley. We, the audience, can’t help but feel it too. Delon’s own allure may certainly contribute to those feelings but by the end, having completed his journey with him, we’re kind of unconsciously invested in it. Of course the knowledge he’s a complete psychopath complicates our sense of human morality so when the inevitable conclusion comes we don’t know how to feel about it. In my opinion, without giving anything away, it was done perfectly here. All three versions are vastly different and I steadfastly, maybe controversially believe the Anthony Minghella adaptation to be the superior one, however Purple Noon is quiet, unsettling, mysterious, brutal, conflicting and an astonishingly beautiful viewing experience. "

"This best version of The Talented Mr. Ripley. My opinion.""

"This is the original 1960 adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Alain Delon. I think it’s superior to the Damon 1999 (U.S.) version. Delon is electric in the lead role and the film is shot from a more objective point of view than the 99 version, which leaves the characters’ motivations and intentions more open to interpretation. 4.5 out of 5 stars"

"The hot one "