PURPLE NOON Movie Review

Plein Soleil
Lust for Evil

An amoral, social-climbing, money-hungry American named Ripley (Alain Delon) is hired by a wealthy businessman to go to Europe to bring back the man's wealthy playboy son, Philippe (Maurice Ronet). It soon dawns on Ripley that there might be considerably more money and power (i.e. women) in it for him if he were to find a way to impersonate Philippe rather than return him. That, however, would mean that the spoiled, irresponsible Philippe would have to disappear—permanently. Based on the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley by Strangers on a Train author Patricia Highsmith, René Clément's decadent and enormously pleasurable suspense thriller features one of Delon's best and most chilling performances (and a knockout surprise ending). With the exception of his great Forbidden Games, this is the film for which director Clément is most famous. Purple Noon was unavailable in America for over 25 years, but was recently returned to circulation thanks to the efforts of Martin Scorsese, who rightly called it “a forgotten classic.” Purple Noon’s slightly faded colors are still not everything they should be—there's a certain vibrancy missing—but Henri Decaë's tension-packed images are still effective. My favorite shot in the movie involves a roast chicken. I'll say no more. (Anthony Minghella, fresh from the success of his The English Patient, has announced that the same Highsmith novel on which Purple Noon was based will be the basis for his next film.)

NEXT STOP … The American Friend, Strangers on a Train, Rope

1960 (PG-13) 118m/C FR Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet, Marie Laforet, Erno Crisa, Billy Kearns; D: Rene Clement; W: Rene Clement, Paul Gegauff; C: Henri Decae; M: Nino Rota. VHS, LV TOU