THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
UK/US, 1999, 127 minutes, Colour.
Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, Celia Weston.
Directed by Anthony Minghella.
Tom Ripley, the anti-hero of Patricia Highsmith's novels, and the enigmatic shape-changer of Anthony Minghella's stylish thriller, The Talented Mr Ripley, also finds fulfilment on a beach and close to water. But his fulfilment is a sham - his philosophy in believing that it is better to be a false somebody than a true nobody.
Tom Ripley is a chameleon, a New York nobody who can mimic and who can step into somebody else's shoes (and eventually all their clothes and their personality) and dramatise a life and survive from there. The clues that he offers for himself at the film's opening suggest an ambiguous way of life, of search, of love of classical music, of...? Even before he gets the opportunity in Italy to meet Dickie Greenleaf (whose father he has promised to persuade Dickie to return to the US), Tom is infatuated with him and his luxurious and easy-going life style that he immediately studies him, imitates him, becomes him and, in a fit of jealous rage, kills him. As the new Dickie Greenleaf he kills again, like Dickie, not knowing that the real Dickie had been prone to violent outbursts.
The talented Mr Ripley has moved in his questing to assume a contrasting personality, enjoy its style - but is trapped in it as he is forced to save himself ever more murderously. The irony of the story is that Dickie's father wants to see the responsible side of his son in Tom and, despite evidence, cannot bring himself to believe that Tom could be guilty. Tom's assumed appearance is too reassuring.
Anthony Minghella had won an Oscar for The English Patient. His other films include Truly Madly Deeply and Mr Wonderful.
1.The credits and the broken face panels, the jacket for Ripley, playing the piano, a pianist - but filling in? The contrast with the tips and his attendance at the toilet?
2.The opera, his love of music and opera, the Italian songs? The classical concert? His not liking jazz? Playing the piano on the stage, his being caught? His studying jazz to become Dickie Greenleaf?
3.Mr Greenleaf and the presumptions about Tom Ripley, Ripley and his lies, giving the information? Greenleaf's anger at his son, persuading Tom to go to Italy, paying him $1000? Tom Ripley and his grasping the opportunity?
4.Learning the jazz, identifying the records? "My Funny Valentine"?
5.The limousine going to the wharf, the connections with Canard and Greenleaf's influence, opening doors? Meredith and her approach, his almost being found out, his ability to pretend, cover, reach for a lie? Meredith and her false identity?
6.The arrival in Italy, the binoculars, seeing Dickie and Marge? Diving, at the beach, his impersonation of Dickie: "This is my face"? Pretending to meet them by accident, the discussions about Princeton? Marge and her invitations, the relationship? Dickie saying Tom made him laugh?
7.Dickie as character, his American background, wealth, antagonism towards his father? (And Tom mimicking him?) At the beach, boats? The relationship with the Italian girl, the man on the bike, the lie to Marge? The playboy?
8.Marge, her background, nice, practical about money, loving Dickie, wanting to marry him? Sharing his experiences? Yet writing a book? Her liking Tom?
9.The discussion about talents, Tom saying that he was truthful, his capacity for imitating? The dropping of the records? His hooking Dickie, going to the jazz club, Dickie singing, Tom joining in? His open-mouth eagerness to enter into Vickie’s world? Staying? Dickie inviting him to string his father along? The opening up of vistas, visits to Venice, Rome, sailing and skiing? Singing "My Funny Valentine"? Tom getting Dickie to write his signature and interpreting the writing? The playing of chess, the bath sequence, sharing the bath, Dickie's reaction, Tom's cover-up? Dickie's father's letters?
10.The visit to Rome, relaxing, Freddie coming - and his car? Freddie's style and personality, also a man about town? The tour? Dickie discovering Tom singing and in his clothes? Tom and his being hurt, Marge apologising about his not going skiing? The discussions with Marge about Dickie's attention span?
11.The festival, the boats, the statue of the Madonna, the girl's body in the water, Dickie upset? The truth about her pregnancy? Tom cleaning up - wanting to be a brother? The train ride - and the intimations of the homoerotic attraction for Tom? Dickie and his despising Freddie and his taste? The truth from Dickie and the bet that he had had with Marge?
12.On the boat, the two together, the tension, Dickie saying that Tom was a leech, boring? Tom hitting him? The growing anger, Dickie's response and the brutality of the killing? Tom lying beside Dickie after his death? The return to the hotel, the concierge and his wrong identity? The letter, the forging, startling Marge?
13.Tom manipulating Marge and her sadness, his booking into the two hotels, covering his tracks, the phone calls? The meeting with Meredith and the link with Freddie?
14.Meredith and the discussions about money? Seeing him without his shirt? Going to the opera, the encounter with Marge and Peter and his being trapped? Taking Meredith home? His ability at quick thinking and manipulation, manipulating the appointments? Marge upset in hearing that Dickie was at the opera and the stories of Meredith for Marge and Peter?
15.Freddie's visit, the confrontation about the flat - the brutality of the murder, carrying the body, the car and getting rid of the body? The young couple kissing - the policeman and his later evidence?
16.The coming of the police, the bike spill, people thinking that Dickie had killed Freddie? His continued lies, about his hurt face, the reporters and the photos? Covering with the police about not wanting to see Marge? Her tears at the locked door? His typing the suicide note, Tom as friend and brother - and the effect on Marge and the police?
17.Going to Venice, the friendship with Peter, the interrogation by the police, the new inspector, Tom being accused? His discussions about putting his past in a basement and locking the door? The key and inviting Peter to unlock the demons? Let the light in? Peter and the choir, the Stabat Mater? Marge's arrival and her comment about Tom being to the manor born?
18.Mr Greenleaf and his arrival, talking to Tom, Tom's apprehension, learning more about his son, the cutting up of the passport photo? Mr Greenleaf adopting Tom? The bath sequence and Marge's arrival, the cover-up about Dickie's ring? The confrontation with Marge - and his later apologies? Marge's continued hostility?
19.The private detective and Tom's expectations - and the irony of his being praised? The facts about Dickie and his past at Princeton and his violence? Marge's farewell and continued hostility?
20.On the boat, the relationship with Peter, the chance encounter with Meredith? Kissing Meredith and Peter seeing? His denials? Being lost once again in his basement? Asking Peter to give him all the qualities of Tom Ripley? His saying that it was better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody?
21.The adaptation of the novel by Patricia Highsmith, the re-creation of the '50s, the US and Italy? The affluent world of Americans in Europe, the portrait of the man without morals, the personality-less character who absorbed others and entered into their worlds? Tom Ripley's life after these events?
