Purple Noon

The first screen adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley novel. Tom has been sent to Italy by a rich man to bring his son Philippe back to America. But what Tom actually wants is that life: money, a boat, sun and answering to nobody. What he does on a boat is the film's turning point. What follows is impersonation: practising a signature, altering a passport, writing letters, and trying to live as two people. The tension comes less from the fear of being caught than from how good Tom is at it. The adaptation differs from the novel at the end, and that difference has to do with the censorship of the period; the author said she liked the film but did not say the same about its ending. Alain Delon plays Tom, and the part brought him international recognition. Maurice Ronet plays Philippe and Marie Laforêt plays Marge. Henri Decaë is the cinematographer. It was shot on the Italian coast and the colour scheme is among the strongest elements; the sun here is not soothing but oppressive. René Clément directed. One of the principal examples of its kind for anyone who likes noir and thrillers built on identity. For a viewer looking for a moral conclusion, the film does not judge its lead and keeps the audience on his side.