Why Alain Delon’s 1960 Tom Ripley remains the definitive cinematic sociopath
In short: Before Matt Damon took on the role, Alain Delon defined the murderous social climber in René Clément’s 1960 thriller, Purple Noon. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel, the film follows a young American who kills a wealthy acquaintance to steal his identity, wealth, and lifestyle in a sun-drenched Italian setting.
In Purple Noon, Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to convince Philippe Greenleaf to return to San Francisco. Instead, Ripley becomes obsessed with Philippe’s luxurious life. After Philippe turns cruel, Ripley murders him, hides the body, and assumes his identity. He masterfully forges documents and manipulates those around him, including Philippe’s fiancée, Marge, to maintain the charade. The film’s tension relies on Ripley’s cold, calculated efforts to outwit everyone, including the Italian police.
The film’s legacy is defined by Alain Delon’s performance, which many critics, including James Berardinelli and Nandini Ramnath, consider superior to later adaptations. While Patricia Highsmith praised Delon as excellent and found the film beautiful, she famously disliked the ending. In the film, Ripley is caught when Philippe’s body is discovered, a conclusion Highsmith dismissed as a 'terrible concession to so-called public morality.' Roger Ebert also criticized this shift, noting that director René Clément lacked Highsmith’s 'iron nerve' to let the criminal escape.
Beyond its narrative, the film is celebrated for its technical execution. Clément’s direction and the film’s cinematography have earned it a loyal cult following, including admirers like Martin Scorsese and Akira Kurosawa. In 1962, Clément and screenwriter Paul Gégauff received an Edgar Award for their screenplay. In 2012, a high-definition restoration was funded by StudioCanal, ensuring that the film’s visual style remains preserved. Today, it stands as a landmark of the crime thriller genre, capturing a specific, chilling mystique that remains unmatched in later versions of the story.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Purple Noon
- Also: Purple Noon
- Also: Wikidata — Purple Noon · CC0
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