Nonureva Really Surprised!

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

daoldiges Liking a good mystery/thriller and Alain Delon as I do, I was looking forward to Plein Soleil. Delon and the scenery are both looking quite nice here. I enjoyed both very much and the story itself is good too, building the suspense slowly and assuredly along. Even though this and the 1999 Anthony Mingella film are based on the same source, I found them to be quite different in almost every way. Even though this version moved a little slowly at times for me, I prefer it slightly more than the later version, although both are worth viewing.

beresfordjd I was a callow early teen when I first saw this movie. It showed in a local cinema which was a bit of a dive - it has long since closed. the whole thing intrigued me and I cannot actually remember whether it was dubbed or subtitled , it was so long ago. However the convoluted story and denouement fascinated and stayed with me ever after. It was half forgotten until I saw The Talented Mr Ripley and I wondered if it was the same story. Delon and Ronet were excellent in Plein Soleil and the very sexiness of the story held my youthful attention. it was an introduction to a Hitchcockian plot and treatment. I wanted the anti-hero to get away with his awful plan he was a hero to me, even though I was sad to see Ronet as Dickie Greenleaf come to a sad end. A wonderful film - it would be good to see it again.

morrison-dylan-fan Taking a look at Rene Clement's IMDb page,I discovered that I had unknowingly picked up one of his films last year!,which led to me getting ready to find out how talented Mr. Ripley is.The plot:Penniless, Tom Ripley is offered a lot of money from the father of his old friend Philippe Greenleaf,who Ripley is asked to locate in Italy,and to bring back home to the US. Arriving in Italy,Ripley soon runs into Greenleaf and his girlfriend Marge Duval. Half- heartedly pushing Greenleaf to go back,Ripley puts the task aside,and starts to enjoying indulging in the life of luxury surrounding Greenleaf. Becoming fixated on Greenleaf and his romance with Duval,Ripley starts to do impressions of Greenleaf,which includes doing a perfect copy of his signature.Hating his fixation,Greenleaf starts to become very abusive.Wanting to get revenge on Greenleaf and to stay in the lifestyle,Ripley begins making plans to kill Greenleaf,and to steal his complete identity.View on the film:Riding the lush waves into Italy,co-writer/(along with Paul Gégauff) directing auteur Rene Clement & cinematographer Henri Decaë continue Clement's theme of the movies being based in a claustrophobic Film Noir world,where the high seas that the trio pass around Italy are hidden with dazzlingly tightly held,cramped shots subtly expressing the vacuum which is filled with Ripley's obsessions and Greenleaf's shallow, decadent life style. Keeping Ripley quick on his feet to avoid the game being solved,Clement heats the title up in sun dried Film Noir shades which roll out in gliding tracking shots as Ripley tries to keep his increasingly bloody hands hidden from view.Bringing Ripley in as an outsider for their adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's book,the screenplay by Clement and Gégauff drops Ripley,Greenleaf and Duval on steady plates which allow them each to let their pampered sides run wild, until the frictions buried underneath the glamour cause the relationships to be snapped with a ruthless earthquake. Needing to play down the homosexual and amoral subtext of the book,the writers are still able to brilliantly unveil the lacking in empathy Film Noir shadow hanging over Ripley,by turning each new encounter Ripley makes of keeping his soulless Film Noir "mask" intact,at any cost.Given just a short amount of time before he is met head on with a Ripley special, Billy Kearns gives the delightfully large, chomping at the scenery performance as Freddy Miles. Becoming the object of Ripley's desires, Maurice Ronet gives a great performance as Greenleaf,due to Ronet carefully chipping away at Greenleaf's slick image to break into his viciously self-obsessed Noir heart.Swimming into their lives, Alain Delon initially presents Ripley as laid- back,with their being little sign of the power games laying ahead.Pulled into a new skin,Delon hits the second of the title with a calculated intensity,thanks to Delon pushing Ripley's sharp Noir nihilism slowly out of the darkness and into the burning,doom-laden sun. Caught in the middle,the eye-catching Marie Laforêt gives a very good performance as the fragile Duval,who is asked by Ripley if she believes it or not.

wes-connors In scenic Italy, criminally handsome Alain Delon (as Tom Ripley) has become friendly with hedonistic Maurice Ronet (as Philippe Greenleaf). Hired by his friend's wealthy father, Mr. Delon hopes to collect $5,000 for bringing Mr. Ronet back home to San Francisco. They may never get there. The party-loving men go out on Ronet's boat, along with girlfriend Marie Laforet (as Marge Duval). There, murderous intentions bubble to the surface...There are few minor problems with this revision of novelist Patricia Highsmith's "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1955). Still, you will see a lot of perfection on the screen. Under skillful and innovative direction from Rene Clement, Delon's devastatingly handsome, aloof and sneaky anti-hero perversely appealed to viewers. He became a major star. On or off the water, Henri Decae's photography is appropriately drop-dead gorgeous and Nino Rota's musical score is surprisingly complimentary. The story was memorably re-made in 1999 by director Anthony Minghella, with the primary roles filled by Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow. The 1999 version took gay subtext and shoved it up your screen. You did not see much of that in 1960... Even in France... Although it drifts too far from the source, this version still rocks the boat.********* Plein soleil (1960-03-10) Rene Clement ~ Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet, Marie Laforet, Billy Kearns