RIPLEY - Monochrome Series- Netflix

Bit late catching up on this one. Just watched the episode where Freddie comes looking for Dickie and ends up dead. OMG the cat. Loved the final scene with the empty chaise longue indicating the cat had moved on, followed by the blood stained paw prints. So subtle.

We have just started to watch it and it looks good so far.

PS Netflix has added the film version "The Talented Mr Ripley" to its menu in case anyone is interested.

I've posted on this before and there have been so many interesting views posted here that its impossible to namecheck them all.
I re-read The Talented Mr Ripley and am half way through Ripley Underground because I was interested in the various interpretations. I find that although I preferred the Damon Ripley to the Scott Ripley, I think the Scott Ripley is closer to the Highsmith Ripley in there's more of a sense of the unhinged/psychopath with less unrequited love for/personal interest in Dickie and a quicker more avaricious decision to do the first,( Dickie's) murder .I think I still wasn't 100% on board with Scott's version. I did think that it was a quality production and did watch the whole thing and enjoyed it.
I agree that the interpretation of the Freddie Miles character failed (for me). Phillip S-Hoffman was typically brilliant as the cruel, bullying snob and physically , being burly, was just right in the part. I thought the effete version(had no idea it was a woman) failed completely and I wondered why they had picked such a bad actor!(Sorry!)
Jude Law made some interesting comments on the contrast between the two versions citing the influence of the Directors' styles , Minghella's( film?) being more romantic that would explain the emphasis on unrequited love being a larger part of the Dickie murder motive and the actual murder scene containing I thought more of an element of personal provocation.
The film won a clutch of Oscars? I think. Not that that's a guarantee of anything.
Killers of the Flower Moon was a dreadful film IMO and that got nominated this year.
Sorry I do go on a bit.......

The Italians are experiencing a flood of visitors following the Netflix series to the Amalfi coast. Even busier than usual.

The French made the first adaptation of the book back in 1960. It was called "Purple Noon" and starred Alain Delon. I had no idea of that film's existence until discussing the Netflix series with French friends last week. AD is my favourite actor, partly because of his beauty although Andrew Scott was brilliant in the part.

In some respects "Ripley" reminded me of the first tv adaptation of Brideshead by Granada back in 1981. Both series allow the characters to develop slowly. The latter has 11 episodes and is generally regarded as tv's greatest literary adaptation.I think that Ripley is up there with the greats.

I liked John Malkovich's cameo as an art dealer, the role he played in Ripley's game (2002)

I just finished it and I loved it, particularly the cinematography which I think will win an award. It reminded me very much of Edward Hopper’s paintings but in black and white. I thought Andrew Scott was brilliant.

gulligranny

I don't think Andrew Scott is right for the part of Tom Ripley at all. He's too creepy, and one of the things that allowed Tom Ripley to do what he did was that he appeared ordinary. Matt Damon in the film was perfect - in fact it was a perfect film.

And why would you film the glorious Amalfi coast in black and white!

Absolutely agree gulligranny. I posted further upthread that I thought Andrew Scott played Ripley as creepy and I didn't like him one bit.

I then watched the original The Talented Mr Ripley and, as you say, it was perfect..... perfect casting and fabulous scenic filming.

I don't think Andrew Scott is right for the part of Tom Ripley at all. He's too creepy, and one of the things that allowed Tom Ripley to do what he did was that he appeared ordinary. Matt Damon in the film was perfect - in fact it was a perfect film.

And why would you film the glorious Amalfi coast in black and white!

flappergirl

I used to live on the Amalfi coast and would often go to Capri or sometimes Ischia for Sunday lunch. I once drove a Ferrari from Sorrento to Positano! That was over 40 years ago and I sometimes wonder if it all really happened. I would urge anyone to visit, it is truly stunning, and of course Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples (the beating heart of Italy) are doable from there.

When my ex and I used to drive round Europe every summer in a Morris 1000 Traveller we discovered Paestum purely by chance; it was just us, the temples and lots of lizards back then.I have a tin jar full of sea glass that I picked up on the beach at Positano.

I love it, keep thinking about the boat scene though.

I liked the film, so I decided to give this a go. I am enjoying it, but the black and white isn't doing it for me. I miss all those amazing Italian colours like there were in the film.

I was there last October. Stayed in Pompeii but took a boat to Capri for the day and also Sorrento. Capri was very crowded even at that time of year and very expensive but the Amalfi coast is beautiful and puts me in mind of days gone by and the glamour of several decades ago ie Loren, Burton/Taylor et al,

I used to live on the Amalfi coast and would often go to Capri or sometimes Ischia for Sunday lunch. I once drove a Ferrari from Sorrento to Positano! That was over 40 years ago and I sometimes wonder if it all really happened. I would urge anyone to visit, it is truly stunning, and of course Pompeii, Herculaneum and Naples (the beating heart of Italy) are doable from there.

Sparklefizz Yes it’s my dream to visit … must save hard😎

Bea The Amalfi Coast and Capri are stunning. It's been 20 years since I last went there and I have loved "revisiting" it via both versions of Mr Ripley. If you ever get the chance to go there, grab it!

I agree tickingbird.

I thought the part of Freddie was miscast. I preferred the original film but did enjoy this adaptation but I couldn’t find the Freddie character in this version believable, not a patch on the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

Namsnanny

Johnny Flynn is in a remake for tv, is it this one?

Oh no. Johnny Flynn is in it and I don’t have Netflix. It had a good review on the Must Watch podcast.

When I say “creepy”, I mean the way Andrew Scott plays Ripley somewhat sinister and creepy. To me he doesn’t seem right for the part.

I’m just watching the original The Talented Mr Ripley which I much prefer.
I haven’t enjoyed the black and white rather creepy Ripley nearly as much.

I like the fact that some scenes have very little dialogue.

Loved it ! Binged watched all the episodes .

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I didn't see the original film or read the book so can't do a comparison. That's probably a good thing. It really is very slow but by episode 3 I found the pace very much enhances the story. The setting in mostly ancient parts of Italy, filmed entirely in black and white was very enjoyable to me. I do agree though that the ages of the actors are a bit too old for the characters. It didn't spoil anything for me though. I really loved it.

Oh! I didn’t know that, but I did think it might be a woman! Thanks Namsnanny, how interesting. That explains my response to that character I think.