Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent film, passable DVD, 2 Sep 2004
By A Customer
The film is a very interesting (if not entirely faithful) adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'. As for the DVD, however, it is a bit of a mixed bag. Although watchable, the print exhibits a large number of faults, including scratches and occasionally heavy grain. However, these faults are also apparent on the previously-released R1 disc (under the English title 'Purple Noon'), suggesting that the film will not look any better without a proper remastering. Both the R1 and R2 discs are presented in their original 1.66:1 ratio, but unlike the R1 disc, this R2 DVD is anamorphic. The disc also includes the theatrical trailer, missing on the R1.
However, this disc also lacks some features. The R2 disc only contains the original French soundtrack (the best way to watch the film, in my opinion), while the R1 disc contains this track as well as an English dub, for those who do not like reading the subtitled translation. On that topic, the R1 has removable subtitles (reportedly in a nasty yellow font, though!), while the English subtitles on the R2 are fixed. The subtitles appear to have been digitally created for this DVD, and are very clear and defined (if a little big) but some viewers may be disappointed that they cannot be removed from the image.
In conclusion, this is the best release of the film yet on DVD in terms of picture and sound quality, despite still being a bit disappointing. Unless you cannot stand to watch the film in its original language, or do not like fixed subtitles, this is the version to get.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The young Tom Ripley and murder: A match made in heaven, 22 Jan 2009
Admit it. At feeding time wouldn't we rather be the snake than the mouse? Even though we might be revolted by the snake's single-minded swallowing, without benefit of a knife and fork, don't we merely shiver a bit and keep watching?
Tom Ripley enjoys a good meal, too. He wants all the good things in life. He doesn't mind causing a little death now and then to get them and to keep them. He takes exception to being looked down upon. Along with Ripley's charm, good nature, easy manners and handsome looks, he has a complete lack of conscience, which combines well with his desire to enjoy what others have.
Patricia Highsmith's intelligent thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley, first introduced us to Tom. He was poor then but willing to be rich. He was the order-taking, money-holding, envious hanger-on to an over-bearing, arrogant rich young man about his own age. The death of this man, plus a spot of impersonation and forgery, some quick thinking and resourcefulness, put Tom on his path to riches. Of course, it was Tom who did the deed to his friend. Forty minutes into Plein Soleil and Tom Ripley is on his way.
Rene Clement's Plein Soleil (Purple Noon), with an incredibly young and handsome Alain Delon as Tom Ripley, was the first filming of Tom's murderous and successful career. In time we also came to know Tom in Wim Wenders' The American Friend (Ripley's Game) in 1977 with Dennis Hopper as Tom; Anthony Minghella's version of The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), with Matt Damon as Tom, then Liliana Cavani's Ripley's Game in 2002 with John Malkovich as Tom. They all are fine in their own satisfyingly nasty ways, although Wim Wenders' version owes more to Wenders than to Highsmith, and Dennis Hopper as Tom is, in my opinion, a stretch.
Alain Delon not only makes a completely believable young, poor, envious and callow Tom Ripley, he makes us think twice about those quaint ideas of right and wrong. Ripley plots his killings. In the case of Philippe Greenleaf, his first, Greenleaf is so arrogantly wealthy it's a pleasure to reach the moment, on a small yacht in the middle of a sun-drenched Mediterranean, when we know Tom is going to do something about it. Delon (and Clement) entice us into the conspiracy. Tom takes over Greenleaf's identity as well as a good-sized portion of Greenleaf's money, deals with Greenleaf's lover, disposes of loose ends, some alive but one soon to be dead, and deals with the police. But Tom also is an improviser, at his best when he must act or lose everything. Tension bounces back and forth between Ripley's careful planning and then his ability to act, his instincts, his resourcefulness and his luck. Ripley not only is matter-of-fact murderous, he's clever. But be prepared (and this is not a spoiler): The last two minutes are a complete cop-out.
We might be a bit revolted at Tom's activities, but just as we watch that snake in the zoo, we can't help but hope Tom Ripley successfully digests all he attempts to swallow.
So which Tom Ripley of the four versions do you like? Me? Damon does a fine job as the young Tom, but Delon is superb. For the older and more assured Tom, it's Malkovich in a class by himself over the incongruously cast Dennis Hopper. The DVD transfer of Plein Soleil is adequate. The movie deserves a first-class release.
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2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Averagely Talented Mr Ripley, 3 Oct 2006
I bought this DVD as a fan of Ripley, having first been introduced to our Tom through Anthony Minghella's wonderfully evocative film with Matt Damon and Jude Law. So I was curious to see how this earlier French version worked out. And it's not that bad.
The dashing Alain Delon is just as scheming as Matt Damon, but in this version acts mainly off the cuff. The acting is good, as is the photography, and the music (by Nino Rota), BUT at bottom the film isn't a patch on Minghella's version. Plein Soleil lacks the charged homoerotic atmosphere between Jude Law and Matt Damon, and Gwyneth Paltrow is a far more believable Marge. There is more background in 'Talented Mr Ripley' version, allowing for deeper characterisation. But at heart, Minghella has more atmosphere, filming in a moody Venice in winter, for example, and adding to the psychological complexity of Tom through his relationship with Jack Davenport. Matt Damon's character displays a wealth of psychological insights through his leeching onto Dickie Greenleaf through love of jazz purely so that Dickie will like him, whereas Minghella shows that his tastes are more classical in nature. And Gabriel Yared's score is just the icing on the cake of the later version.
I seem to have drifted form reviewing 'Plein Soleil' to reviewing 'The Talented Mr Ripley'. BOTH films are good, and if you see one, it's good to see the different take presented by the other. There are some difference in the storyline, especially the shock at the end of 'Plein Soleil'. I won't mention what happens - you'll have to watch the DVD to discover it.
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