Purple Noon, a cerebral psychological noir-thriller, based on Patricia Highsmith’s popular novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley, is beautifully executed by veteran Gallic director Rene Clement.
Grade: A- (****1/2 * out of *****)
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French theatrical release poster
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The prolific French director Rene Clement is perhaps best known for his lyrical film Forbidden Games), which won the 1952 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
In 1960, he made Plein Soleil (Purple Noon), the best screen version of Patricia Highsmith’s popular novel, perfectly cast with Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforet.
Tanned, tousled, and handsomely built, Alain Delon has never looked more ravishing or behaved more corruptly than as Tom Ripley, a young American in Europe, assigned to persuade his friend Philip (Maurice Ronet) to return home.
For a fee of $5,000, Ripley is sent to Mongibello (near Naples) by the heir’s San Francisco-based industrialist father, Mr. Greenleaf, who’s appalled by his son’s financially spoiled conduct and globe-trotting habits.
Ripley, dazzled by the blinding blue sea and the scent of money, enjoys sharing with Philip his glitzy lifestyle on the Italian coast, his art-school fiancé Marge Duval (the equally intriguing Marie Laforet), and finally and most scarily Philip’s own identity through murder.
Switching from his initially supporting character role to a leading one, Delon dominates the screen with a labyrinth-like plot of sophisticated lies and no so sophisticated mind games. Based on endless intrigues and ingenious turns of events, tension rises steadily to a twist ending that’s most satisfying.
Highsmith’s Hitchcockian tale of murder, homosexual attraction, and character transference is the first of a successful series of books featuring Tom Ripley. Her work is given the right visual treatment, a sense of sun-struck corruption by Henri Decaë’s Mediterranean cinematography, and by the brooding music of Nino Rota, better known for his many brilliant scores for Fellini.
Alain Delon was cast after the director saw him in Women Are Weak (1959). In 1960, Delon appeared in another masterpiece, Visconti’s Rocco and His Brothers.
In 1962, Clément and Paul Gégauff won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Foreign Film Screenplay.
The movie still enjoys a loyal cult following today, with fans including director Scorsese. The Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa cited this movie as one of his 100 favorite films.
In 2012 StudioCanal funded a restoration of the movie by the Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, a restoration being all the more warranted as part of the film’s atmosphere is due to the sun-drenched scenes mentioned in the film’s original title. The restored version was shown at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival as part of an homage to Delon’s career, prior to re-release in France at least.
On December 4, 2012, Criterion released the high-definition digital restoration of Purple Noon on Blu-ray and DVD. Special features include interview with René Clément, archival interviews with Alain Delon and Patricia Highsmith.
Cast
Alain Delon as Tom Ripley
Maurice Ronet as Philippe Greenleaf
Marie Laforêt as Marge Duval
Erno Crisa as Inspector Riccordi
Billy Kearns as Freddy Miles
Frank Latimore as O’Brien
Elvire Popesco as Madame Popova
Nicolas Petrov as Boris the dancer
Ave Ninchi as Signora Gianna, landlady in Rome
Lily Romanelli as Greenleaf’s Housekeeper in Mongibello
Nerio Bernardi as the Ship’s Agency Director
Viviane Chantel as The Belgian Lady
Paul Muller as The Blind Man (uncredited)
René Clément as servant (uncredited cameo appearance)
Romy Schneider as Freddy’s companion (uncredited cameo appearance; Schneider was Delon’s girlfriend at that time)
Credits:
French title: Plein soleil
Directed by René Clément
Screenplay by René Clément, Paul Gégauff, based on “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” 1955 novel by Patricia Highsmith.
Produced by Robert Hakim, Raymond Hakim
Cinematography Henri Decaë
Edited by Françoise Javet
Music by Nino Rota
Production companies Robert et Raymond Hakim; Paris Film; Paritalia; Titanus
Distributed by: CCFC (France); Titanus (Italy)
Release dates: March 10, 1960 (France); Sep 2, 1960 (Italy)
Running time: 115 minutes
Language French
Box office: $618,090 (US)
2,437,874 admissions (France)
End Note
Earlier in the decade, Hitchcock had directed a superb picture out of Highsmith’s book, Strangers on a Train (1951). with Farley Granger and scene-stealing Robert Walker.
Miramax re-released “Purple Noon” theatrically in the mid-1990s to great critical and commercial success, making the film available to a new generation of viewers.
Clement’s French film was remade in 1999 by Anthony (Oscar winner for the 1996 “The English Patient”) Minghella, starring Matt Damon (miscast in the lead), Jude Law. Gwyneth Paltrow, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The 1960 version is superior, based on its cast, and for capturing the chill perversity in Highsmith’s novel more effectively and alluringly.
