A Damn Fine Espresso: July 2024

A Damn Fine Cup of Culture

Summer is a good time to catch up on films and series – in this case, the Netflix series Ripley, created by Steven Zaillian and released last spring. The Talented Mr. Ripley has been adapted before, most famously as Plein Soleil (AKA Purple Noon, by René Clément and starring a deliciously evil Alain Delon) and under its original title in 1999 (by Anthony Minghella, with Matt Damon as a more soulful murderer) – so what is the purpose of another adaptation? Join Sam and Matt as they ponder this question. What does Zaillian’s Ripley bring to the discussion, compared to the films by Clément and Minghella? What is the effect on the story of casting Andrew Scott as a Ripley a dozen years older than the earlier versions? What are the unique qualities of Netflix’s Tom Ripley? And is this version a more faithful adaptation of Highsmith’s story and character?

For more on Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley and the various film adaptations of his adventures, make sure to check out these posts and podcasts:

• A Damn Fine Cup of Culture Podcast #45: Ripley vs Ripley – who’s the most talented?
• A Damn Fine Espresso: December 2023 (in which Sam and Matt discuss the other adaptations of Tom Ripley novels)
• Anyone you can be, I can be better: All About Eve and The Talented Mr Ripley

You can also download the podcast at the following link:

A Damn Fine Espresso: July 2024