‘Ripley’: An Elegant, Macabre Re-Telling of an Obsessive Classic

Forget everything you thought you knew about Thomas Ripley…

We have returned again and again to the enigmatic and dangerously suave presence of Ripley over time–five film adaptations and counting–but Steven Zaillian’s 8-episode entry is an entirely different animal. It’s patient, calculated–perhaps not unlike Ripley himself. I am sure I am not alone in my adoration of Anthony Minghella’s 1999 suntanned thriller, The Talented Mr. Ripley, so some eager fans might be surprised by Zaillian’s astonishingly gorgeous interpretation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel. With an arresting, savagely intelligent performance from Andrew Scott, this Ripley is definitely worth revisiting.

To say that Thomas Ripley leads a solitary life is an understatement. He spends his time in New York City performing middling mail fraud to get by, but he is a professional at keeping everyone at a safe distance away. Even the crystal, pristine ashtray used as a deadly weapon seen halfway through the season only holds one cigarette. It’s Tom Ripley against the world. When he is approached to travel to Italy, however, to persuade Dickie Greenleaf to return to America, Tom knows this is the ticket to a better state of being.

On the surface, Dickie (Johnny Flynn) has the most enviable life. The ocean is steps from his door, and he spends his days pursuing his passion for art. His girlfriend, Marge (Dakota Fanning), is in the process of writing a photographic book about Atrani, but she is warier of Tom’s intentions from the beginning. Maybe having money makes you more trusting? Or nicer? Dickie’s friend Freddie Miles (Eliot Sumner) is outwardly suspicious as to why Tom continues to stay around even after Tom reveals to Dickie how he arrived in Italy in the first place. Some people do not like to overstay their welcome but some don’t like to be told when to go, but Tom assumes that he has ownership to this life now. It would be unfair to reveal too much to anyone who hasn’t experienced this story yet, so I won’t go into more specifics.

The entire season rests on Andrew Scott. He has never been more compelling as he inhabits the dark soul of this man. Matt Damon’s take was more boyish and, to a point, forgivable. Some reviews back in 1999 went as far to say that you rooted for Ripley as he performed more unspeakable acts of treachery and violence. Scott’s portrayal, on the other hand, is more dangerous, careful and stoic. There is an eerie calmness to how easy it is for his Tom to pull a mask down over his own face. We suddenly realize that we don’t know who the real Tom Ripley is anymore. With his relaxed smile and easy demeanor, Scott’s Ripley is truly menacing and unpredictable.

The beloved Minghella version introduced us to a Tom who was conflicted by his own sexuality at a time that wouldn’t accept him. There is no embrace in the boat. No bathtub request after a game of chess. Flynn’s Dickie is more naïve and gullible than Jude Law’s pompous playboy, and Zaillian’s Ripley feels more volatile in how Scott’s Tom keeps everyone emotionally at bay. Scott is oftentimes alone in the frame, and he is constantly seen from a distance. There is a shot in episode one where two New York subway cars run parallel to one another. As Tom stares at us through the window of the adjacent car, the track changes, and his face disappears smoothly from view. Would we be able to describe him to the police if they needed a description? We begin to worry that Tom Ripley will think of us as a witness to his crimes and he will turn his attentions to keeping us silent. The paranoia is palpable and thrilling.

Enough cannot be said about the cinematography from Academy Award winner Robert Elswit. In stark black-and-white, the shadows ebb and flow as if the shores of the beach, archways, and winding staircases are accomplices in Ripley’s deceptions. It will take your breath away. Ripley begins as a thriller of identity, but then it transforms into a cat-and-mouse game between Tom and Inspector Ravini. Zaillian introduces us to various front desk clerks and hotel workers as Tom skips around Italy trying to evade Ravini’s pursuits.

I admit to being hesitant about this Ripley since my heart was so devoted the last successful adaptation. This series is darker, creepy, and makes us question our own moral compass. More adaptations should differ so greatly from its last iteration. Zaillian’s version does not compete with Minghella’s but should be viewed alongside it. The more Thomas Ripleys the better, I say.

Ripley is streaming now on Netflix.