Before
Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr.
Ripley,” French director René Clément made Purple
Noon (Plein Soleil). Created just five years after the release of
Highsmith’s novel, Purple Noon aligns
much closer to the book than the later version starring Matt Damon and Jude
Law, while adding a bit more believability and realism to the criminal acts
than are found in literary form. The result is a fantastic film, both gorgeous
and meticulous in detail, surely one of Clément’s best and the film which made
Alain Delon a star.
Delon
stars as Tom Ripley, an American who has traveled to Rome
in search of a trust fund young man named Philippe (Maurice Ronet) and convince
him to return home to his father in San
Francisco Italy
What
is truly remarkable about Purple Noon is the amount of effort taken to show us
how Ripley would be able to accomplish what he does, without forcing the
audience to sympathize with him or even understand why he would. There is no
need for motive or explanation, as greed is quite clear to see. Delon is
marvelous as a carefree Ripley, almost appearing as a child who is proud of his
ability to fool others with lies and trickery. He marvels himself smarter than
those around him, at one point even openly discussing his murderous intentions
to his victim.
The
Blu-ray release of this classic French thriller comes with a new digital
restoration presentation, including an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. The
special features include a new interview with Clément scholar Denitza
Bantcheva, as well as archival interviews with Highsmith and Delon. The package
comes with a booklet insert with an essay by film critic Geoffrey O’Brien and
an excerpt from an interview with Clément from the early 80s.
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