Original interpretation — not a still from the production
Delon, twenty-four, sunburnt and entirely without conscience.
The Continental Verdict
Highly Recommended
The first Ripley, and the more sensual one. Clément shoots the Bay of Naples in a heat so convincing you can feel the deck varnish softening. Delon is impossibly beautiful and utterly unbothered, which makes the film's amorality far more disturbing than Minghella's guilt-ridden version.
The yachting sequences alone justify the evening — canvas, brass, salt, and two men who have run out of things to say to one another.
Why Watch It
The Gentleman Factor
Nothing to emulate morally; everything to emulate in how he wears a shirt with the sleeves pushed up.
Look Out For
- The fish-market sequence
- The murder at sea
- The final shot on the beach
The Locations
Ischia, Procida, Naples and Rome, all before mass tourism.
More from the travel pages →The Cars
A Fiat 1100 and a beautiful wooden sloop doing the heavy lifting.
More from motoring →The Wardrobe
Sun-bleached cotton, rope-soled shoes, the least self-conscious summer dressing on film.
More on style →The Soundtrack
Nino Rota, in a rare restrained mood.
Into the music room →Watch Next
Where to Watch
Criterion Blu-ray; occasionally streaming.
For the Collection
Also in Continental Cinema
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