IFI CLASSIC (SCREENING EXCLUSIVELY AT THE IFI)

The first big screen outing for Patricia Highsmith’s monstrous Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) sees him arriving in France to persuade spoiled rich kid Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet) to return to the States and take over the family business. With no intention of so doing, Philippe and his girlfriend Marge (Marie Laforêt) instead take the impoverished Ripley under their wing and introduce him to a life of carefree privilege that nurtures envy in him, as well as an obsession with his new friend. When Philippe’s attitude becomes cruel, Ripley decides to simply kill him and assume his identity.

Highsmith, never easy to please when it came to adaptations of her work, believed Delon “excellent” in the role; his nuanced performance, moving easily between suave and sinister, often with just a minor change in expression, provides the perfect front for an utterly amoral killer. (Notes by Kevin Coyne.)

This film will be the French Film Club screening on Wednesday, September 4th at 18.15 held in partnership with the Alliance Française. IFI and Alliance Française members can avail of a discounted ticket price of €7 for this film (please request at the IFI Box Office when visiting).