The cat being the only witness, the sound of the detective's notebook everytime he opened it, the amount of compliments Tom's pen got - small details, but it is was I enjoyed most in this version. Yes, here we were the silent observers like the cat, making notes on Tom's every calculated move because the camera made sure we noticed and the beauty of the way he handled every situation!
@@3DSteezyOFFICIAL Yes, I thought the innate nobility and hauteur of the cat's gaze and bearing (ok, I'm anthropomorphising him, but bear with me) contrasted brilliantly with the shifty goings-on of most of the humans in this story. It highlighted something I always value in animals: their complete honesty.
@@bonnacon1610The Cat alone was brilliant. He/She saw so much action with Tom, saw what a sick liar he is but couldn't speak about what he saw. Also remember Alfred Hitchcock did Strangers On A Train was also based on The Patricia Highsmith Novel of the same name.😊
Andrew Scott was perfect as Ripley. Amazing performance. His face is so expressive. Do not even need words to feel the character. The photography is spell binding. The beauty of the Italian town that is crumbling but still beautiful as it crumbles.
I firmly believe that all the criticism this adaptation got is from the people who wrongly understood that this is a remake of the 1999 film, when in reality it is yet another adaptation of a novel.
@@umbertoaguiar This show is yet another adaptation of a book, the same way all the previous movies were. The 1999 took A LOT of liberties in crafting characters and stories that are very different and sometimes not even part of the original book. This show follows the book plot more closely but chose to make the characters older and that entails changes, too. Also, literally all the criticism I saw as soon as it came out was about how this negatively compares to the 1999 movie, even in published film reviews. So no, I am not mistaken. You are free to your opinion, though.
@@umbertoaguiar You chose to not accept my comment from a few weeks ago (when most of the criticism I saw was about comparing this to the TTMR film) and argue with it. All adaptations differ from the original source, the 1999 film is widely different, much more so than this. You think the actors were miscast, fine, your prerrogative, but YOU sought to fight in my comment, YOU are the one not accepting other views. Also, personages is not a word. Have a good day.
"To incriminate the viewer." That is an excellent description of a key element of this story. I think that incriminating the reader is one of the most important elements of Highsmith's novel. This is just one of the critical elements of this excellent novel that Zaillian got so right.
I went back and tried to watch "The Talented....." movie that I thought was so great at the time. It fails to come close to this interpretation. It is unwatchable, in fact.
Argue all you want. It was unwatchable. The remake was boring and I am not blown away by the cinematography; I want a great script and acting. Too much tedious detail that is not inviting but off-putting in boring details. Oh I forgot to keep in mind the cinematography that is just so important. You care about Matt Damon not this guy or the others. Compare Dickie's charm in the movie to the Series. The worst you can say is the movies was too glib but Ripley could have used more of that that. Stair scenes add something but too much .. little payoff.
Looked up Zaillian movies and now I know I just don't like him . None of his movies were all that engaging. He's made a lot of big movies with two much excruciating details. Having no music is another poor choice here - then find music that won't lead us rather than bore us with small sound effects. In this movie, easy-dropping and waiting, stall the film.
This version was brilliant! Entire episodes dedicated to single murders.... Slow, exhausting and frustrating. Gave a lot of emphasis on the "why" of Ripley. Loved it.
as an italian, watching the series in original language, i must add the perfection of the dialogues spoken in italian by the various characters (both italians and americans)
I loved it so much!!! And shot so beautifully it hurt!!! Completely different than I expected. I'm so glad you showcased it!!! And Andrew Scott killed it, pun intended.
It grabbed me from the first few frames. The b&w presentation was amazing! Every scene was carefully planned and lit, and the varying perspectives took my breath away. Best thing I've seen in ages.
Ripley was SLOOOOW. But even as someone that 2x speed listens to all youtube videos I NEVER found myself impatient. The speed, in fact, felt extremely refreshing.
The movie was so much better. This has too much detail and is slow but not in a good way, and one likes Matt Damon Ripley so much more than this actor.
@@Garvin285 Did you think the movie was over-the-top or silly? Over the years I have watched it 5 times and I was always totally absorbed. I see that the series did better in ratings han the movie (movie received a 85% on rotten tomato), but I am in total disbelief reading about the love of the series.
@@oppothumbs1 Compared to the series? Yes definitely The series are an indisputable art piece that creates the whole structure and goes into details with subleties, acting and camera work. It's a work of light, time, color (or the lack of it), sound and even language. The movie pales in comparison and while it isn't bad per se, it simply isn't much of any of that. I get the nostalgia but I find it insane to truly believe the movie is a better work of cinematography unless you really just get a headache or are bored with any more ambitious art. Every scene in this series is a good scene, many of them... are great. And with how the cinema in general was last few years, it's really nice to finally (meaning mostly year 2023/2024) see a refreshment. And yes it's slow and have much details because that's exactly how... with good eye and imagination you can create a masterpiece. Infantile art needs to be "mad" "outrageous" or dirty... ambitious art needs to be clean, raw and pedantic at times some films can safely be both but just a story alone doesn't make a good movie and isn't even close to making a great one. Just making the plot interesting is also mediocricity, there is much more to cinema than it is to a book and this series feels like a set of finely captured photos with a smoke of an expensive cigar, a fine drink at a fitting weather outside and a perfectly matched record on a vinyl player. And it shows much more than just the plot... it's an insight into a whole world of it's own. I could eat it with a spoon everynight and by season three I'd probably know some italian, but it's good it ended here and there, because otherwise it wouldn't be so good.
@@Garvin285 OK thanks. My feeling is the delightful witty banter is so much better in the movie. Maybe it's less realistic in that sense; plus I like the faster pace which may have sacrificed detail and realism but the lines are all so compelling and witty; I was very entertained and amused. The charming personalities throughout are all likeable even if evil. Matt, Jude, Philip, Gwyneth, Cate and Jude's dad are people you care about and with well-rounded personalities and flaws. So many unforgettable scenes are in the movie, including the boat party with all the tension and Freddie Miles taunting Tommy with "How's the Peeping Tommy? tommy tommy tommy". Freddie's intro scene, Dickie and Tom tub scene. Im the movie you slowly see Tom's evil but you know it from the start in the video. Tom and Marge and Dickie are pretty bland in the series but playful and engaging in the movie. The movie's music score is great.
I read Patricia Highsmith’s Talented Mr Ripley recently and these clips are brilliant visualisations of her scenes. This is not a remake. This looks like an excellent adaptation of the book as if the Matt Damon and John Malkovitch films didn’t exist or were disregarded completely.
@@alikhalil2863 For me, given that the while movie felt like an art piece, every shot so beautiful in a classic way, those droplets were like wake up to reality. Murder is ugly, there's nothing dreamy or artistic about it. IDk if I manage to get my point across. But that red pulled me out of the depth of the story, made it striking how this act interrupts harmony and beauty.
The method of storytelling reminded me of Breaking Bad. It focused a lot on ‘process’. I remember how Walt and Jesse were confronted with ‘body disposal’ problems.
Watching this has caused me to not only read all the novels but also watch all the Ripley related movies. This series is the best adaptation of any of the Highsmith stories
This version is masterful. The actors are SO GOOD. You can see they know more than theyre saying to each other in the performances. I loved every second of it
I agree. Ripley is my new all-time favorite series. Truly a masterpiece. Love the stunning B&W visuals. The suspense and dark, detailed unfolding of the story were masterful. I was totally engaged with the story from the opening sequence through to the last. This should go down in movie history as the pinnacle murder mystery cinema.
It shows just how damn difficult getting rid of evidence can be...two people can keep a secret if one is dead. The intensity, the adrenaline, the psychological strain, all of it.
Nicely observed. On a pedantic level, the series isn't a "remake" of the Mingella film, but another adaptation of the novel, but it does bring up questions I had after watching it. Are the dissimilar plot points in "Talented" a screenwriter creation, or do some of those events take place in subsequent entries of the book series? It's not like scripts won't make major changes, but if the ending is a Hollywood creation - showing him as a character capable of falling in love right on the heels of his murders - that's a pretty major departure from the impenetrable cold-as-ice sociopath we watched in Ripley. I searched, but couldn't find anyone commenting on the changes one way or the other. Talented is a tragedy of hubris. Ripley is a straight, chilling character study.
To my knowledge, in the novels Ripley never overtly expresses any kind of queer identity or affection for Dickie - but this is Patricia Highsmith we're talking about so it's safe to assume the subtext is there. I think the two Ripleys of the movie and miniseries respectively represent ends of a spectrum - Damon's Ripley being impulsive, emotional, and chaotic, whereas Scott's Ripley is devoid of feelings except those of resentment and envy, and filled instead with machinations. Personally I find the choice to age him up and make him more canny and world-weary is extremely evocative of our current times, whereas in the Minghella film it's very representative of the much different attitude that pervaded the 90s.
Minghella actually changed a lot from the book. Peter Smith-Kingsley is mentioned once or twice in the book as a friend Tom makes in Venice but nothing past that. Meredith Logue just straight up isn’t in the book from my memory. Also the person who commented above that queer desire isn’t apparent in the book isn’t quite right. Tom out and out claims to like men and women to his New York friends: “I can’t make up my mind whether I like men or women, so I’m thinking of giving them both up”. This claim is backed up by the very apparent lust he has for Dickie, which we see even after he’s decided to kill him on the boat, “he could have hit Dickie, sprung on him, or kissed him”. He also has a wife in the later books who he is also sexually attracted to, although arguably not in love with her
I would also like to say that Minghella’s Ripley is not the exact same character as the books and does not intend to be. I’ve seen quotes from Minghella saying that he wanted to create a more sympathetic character than the one Patricia Highsmith wrote, and that changes a lot the character intentions, for better or for worse (better in my opinion). Tom isn’t explicitly shown to be a criminal/scammer at the start of the movie, he’s just quite a talented and skilled liar. He is a lot less of a cold blooded killer too, as the situation with Dickie is more of a crime of passion. I would argue Minghellas version absolutely had the capacity to love- both Dickie and Peter- while Highsmith’s and the 2024 Ripley do not
@@dorkbaitart I found Scott's Ripley very expressive for the fact that he was trying to cover himself from the crime of murder by appearing so distant & calm & measured. He was a puzzle that the police could not completely finish.
I agree this version of Ripley is a masterpiece. Your description of its excellence is great. I would mention Ripley's fascination with the art of Caravaggio as a highlight.caravaggio was also a murderer. You di😅dnt mention the soundtrack which is superb .The use of popular Italian ballads of the 50' In particular the scene in the patio where the female singer walked down the steps towards the waiting audience She sang so evocatively, phrasing perfect,dressed elegantly in 50's fashion. She was.an actress miming a once famous italian singer which probably went unnoticed .It was such an exquisite scene,so superior to the loud frenzy of the jazz club in the earlier Ripley with Law and Damon.
Excellent and well put together analysis, thank you for making this, i had all but forgotten how bloody good this show was! Thank you and have a happy new year
Thank you, finally someone who loved this show as much as I did. All the other reviewers called it “boring”, hated so many details and frankly did not understand this masterpiece at all.
Dead-on commentary/analysis, as usual, and couldn't agree more -- it's quite the most evocative and authentic feeling takedown of Patricia Highsmith we've seen to date, and certainly the most intriguing television show of 2024 thus far. Engrossing, unnerving, and enveloping. Thanks ever so much.
I don’t usually comment on videos but you have done such a good job on analyzing each detail and putting into words the significance of each scene that I just had to commend you! I immediately liked and subscribe!
Very nice video, i felt everything you described while watching the show as soon as it was released…also, while digging up info, i found out there is an even older adaptation of the book, making that the original one, in the form of the french movie Purple Noon, can’t wait to watch that one as well! 🤗
I loved this show so much that immediately after I started reading the book. And it's amazing how the book is even more dense. I think the show is still more gritty and dark, but both work in their own way/midia. In the book we are 100% inside Ripley's head, whereas in the show we only see his thoughts through his eyes (AMAZING performance by Andrew btw).
I've been obsessed since watching the show and have sought many reviews such as this. And as much as I thought I could learn thing nothing new you threw in a few great observations. Your focus on the lift was great.
So glad you made this. I was trying to tell people how good this was after seeing it, because I was so surprised. The cinematography in black-and-white is just perfect. The acting is amazing and the series does not rush, which is so refreshing. Brilliant, and better than the film.
My significant other and I watched this, and we were obsessed. We've loved familiar dramas like Six Feet Under or True detective, severance, but after watching The Lighthouse, i was excited to watch something in black and white that captured acting and storytelling beautifully - and this was it.
Thanks - such good insights to an amazing movie. I realize now that the lack of insistent music, so common these days, adds enormously to the experience of Ripley.
Excellent observations. I was so blown away by this show, don't review shows/movies on my channel but did for this one. This might be the best neo-noir I've ever seen. Masterclass and one of the best remakes ever (your words)... couldn't agree more.
I began Ripley last night and just finished. Wow. What a ride! Everything about Ripley is A+. While the black & white took me out first by the end it was a clear artistic choice and the absence of color became part of the mood. Except one element: the *horribly miscast* Freddy Miles. As one reviewer noted, the desk clerks seemed to have more intention in their casting than the actor who portrayed one of the plot’s driving characters.
Small point, but it's bothering me. "Ripley" is not a remake. It's an adaptation of a book/books. The books are brilliant and more credit should be given to Patricia Highsmith. There's a reason why this show was so good, and part of that credit lies with the complexity and viewpoint of the books. In my opinion, this show really captured the essence of the book. We become very aware we are rooting for the "bad guy". Maybe we are too. Or maybe things are always much more complex than just good and bad. (obviously, but it's captured so well ...) There's nothing more interesting to me than the mundane in the dramatic. This series really surprised me.
I totally agree, on all points ! It is not a remake. And also , it was the brilliance of P. Highsmith who first created it all for us to enjoy, in all its variations. I read "The Talented Mr. Ripley" while laid up with a broken ankle at home in a small village in Wales. My fiancee got books from the library for me, and fortunately, he chose Mr. R. After that, I read every P.H. book I could get. Going for a re-read after having watched Ripley.
I can only compare the two movies, the first one starring Alain Delon (same story) called "Purple Noon" ("Plein Soleil" in French) and the famous one starring Jude Law and Matt Damon. They have many points of intersection (being both of them the very same story) and yet they couldn't be more different. Some characters brought to life in The Talented Mr. Ripley simply can't be found in Purple Noon. But what really makes Purple Noon's atmosphere unique is the presence of Delon, the whole nostalgia of French Nouvelle Vague (it is more of a tribute to the Nouvelle Vague) and the shocking final scene, much better than the open epilogue of The Talented Mr. Ripley, in my humble opinion.
As someone who read the books many years ago. And has seen TTMR multiple times. I’m a little shocked I didn’t know about this series. Thanks for the heads up.
Excellent review. Ripley is gripping television. My only point of difference is your use of the term “Gothic architecture”. Very little Gothic architecture is seen in this series. There is a predominance of ancient Roman, medieval, Renaissance and later centuries, all of which help to make Italy a historian’s dream to visit.
I agree with you. As I was watching the first time, I was just hoping that it was good old Ripley, like the one with Matt Damon. It took me a little while to become really sure and just enjoy the ride until the end. Every murder scene and every details. I have rewatched it just a couple of days after and I think I was just smiling throughout the 8 episodes. Since that, every time I think about it, I google to see if the second season is on!
May have to renew my subscription for this one. Just from the first few minutes of this video, it reminded me of Reed, Antonioni, Resnais, and Hitchcock. And a little bit of Greenaway. This is the kind of filmmaking I fell in love with.
it's a great version and absolutely visually stunning. What was missing for me is what was so special about Dickie in this version? He didn't have the charisma and charm that Jude Law's Dickie had and I couldn't see how anyone would be really drawn in by him
When he has the discipline not to have a drink, and instead goes all the way back to the Via Appia to finish the business, you know, if you didn’t already, what a masterpiece this is. The part where the motorboat careens round and round with its horrible cargo quasi-animated by the motion grows out of that scene in “Psycho” when it looks as if Marion’s car won’t sink.
If you liked the documentary aspect, I would recommend "C'est arrivé près de chez vous". It's a french movie that depicts a documentary about a serial killer
The pacing of the show is perfect. I didn't know this was a remake of an existing story. The fact that I can't fathom how the story squeezed into a 2h19m film says a lot about Zaillian's version.
Thoughtful analysis! Thank you. But I'm puzzled by the characterization of this as a remake. It's a translation of the novel to the screen, not a reworking of the Minghella film.
Never heard of Zallian but loved thos classic films he wrote.. he is a Brillian writer, where has he been hiding? Rippley, followed all the rules of filmmaking and the character journey, loved the suspense didn't like the ending, but that's because of other films giving you the answers. This film also shows how busy a criminal really is from planning, plotting, and movement. Such a well thought out film series a great cinematic journey. It also allows the view to think for themselves using silence, visual, and sound
I can't believe people like this! The characters are so dumb that they'd fit better in Naked Gun or Austin Powers. Who invites a stranger to his home just because he claims to be an old friend, when yourself have no memories of ever meeting him? Two morons gets killed because they confront the suspect and then turned their back on him and walk away! Thats the kind of stupidity you see in cheap horror movies like Friday the 13th! Come on guys, you all been blinded by the superb cinematography.
I watched it in original version and I loved the fact that all italians characters actually speak italian! In the spanish version for example the italians are dubbed in spanish.. it's so bad. Anyway, always watch in original version guys! Btw, your review is perfect, very interesting!
Yeah, the show mostly being a modern but yet classic Hitchcock-ian take on the classic where every b/w frame is an artwork in itself! God, or maybe the devil in this case, truly is in the details! Amazing!
It is not a remake, it is an adaptation of the novel. It is faithful to the novel but not slavishly. However, the dealing with the body emphasis is there and part of what makes the book so good. The second in the book series, Ripley Underground, turns this up further. Patricia Smith imbues these scenes with a black humor while also giving great insight into Ripley. Tom's thinking is horrifying, hilarious and fascinating-I find the books oddly relaxing, something about viewing the world through Tom''s eyes. Maybe because his world view is simple, because he is, when all is said and done, a sociopath. The movie is a terrible adaptation of the novel as is Purple Noon (the earlier French adaption), both films simplify the character of Ripley in different ways.
I binge watched Ripley and enjoyed it so much that I had to watch other Ripley movies like "The Talented Mr Ripley" and "Purple Noon" with a very handsome Alain Delon. I understand the director wanted this version to be more of a film noir story, a more dark and sinister story so filmed it in black and white, but I did wish it was in colour. I missed seeing those glorious location shots in Italy in all their magnifico!
I would say that the 1999 film was the one that was like a Hitchcock. It very much has that location-as-character technicolor '50s glamor thing you get from VERTIGO, TO CATCH A THEIF and MARNEE. The Netflix series is more like '50s Film Noir meets Look Magazine photos. Although, the story itself is something you'd expect Hitchcock to tackle himself.
The cat being the only witness, the sound of the detective's notebook everytime he opened it, the amount of compliments Tom's pen got - small details, but it is was I enjoyed most in this version. Yes, here we were the silent observers like the cat, making notes on Tom's every calculated move because the camera made sure we noticed and the beauty of the way he handled every situation!
the sound of the detective's notebook every time he opened it.
Yes!
And we were part of a cloud of silent witnesses - all those sculptured eyes, faces, painted images looking on, mutely.
I also thought the cat was a nice touch to the story, subtle details that matter
@@3DSteezyOFFICIAL Yes, I thought the innate nobility and hauteur of the cat's gaze and bearing (ok, I'm anthropomorphising him, but bear with me) contrasted brilliantly with the shifty goings-on of most of the humans in this story. It highlighted something I always value in animals: their complete honesty.
@@bonnacon1610The Cat alone was brilliant. He/She saw so much action with Tom, saw what a sick liar he is but couldn't speak about what he saw. Also remember Alfred Hitchcock did Strangers On A Train was also based on The Patricia Highsmith Novel of the same name.😊
Dickie's murder was one of the most disturbing things I've seen on screen. "Tom, help me." Just brutal, and so sad. Perfection.
And then the murderer carelessly lets a boat run him down. OK. Ridiculous.
Andrew Scott was perfect as Ripley. Amazing performance. His face is so expressive. Do not even need words to feel the character.
The photography is spell binding. The beauty of the Italian town that is crumbling but still beautiful as it crumbles.
Expressive like a sociopath who is dispassionate about everything. Not an easy balance to strike
Overall, i like this movie (I really love Talented Mr Ripley). The funny thing is I honestly cannot tell that the acting is great or bad.
I firmly believe that all the criticism this adaptation got is from the people who wrongly understood that this is a remake of the 1999 film, when in reality it is yet another adaptation of a novel.
@@umbertoaguiar This show is yet another adaptation of a book, the same way all the previous movies were. The 1999 took A LOT of liberties in crafting characters and stories that are very different and sometimes not even part of the original book. This show follows the book plot more closely but chose to make the characters older and that entails changes, too.
Also, literally all the criticism I saw as soon as it came out was about how this negatively compares to the 1999 movie, even in published film reviews. So no, I am not mistaken. You are free to your opinion, though.
@@umbertoaguiar You chose to not accept my comment from a few weeks ago (when most of the criticism I saw was about comparing this to the TTMR film) and argue with it. All adaptations differ from the original source, the 1999 film is widely different, much more so than this. You think the actors were miscast, fine, your prerrogative, but YOU sought to fight in my comment, YOU are the one not accepting other views. Also, personages is not a word. Have a good day.
I didn't want my ride with Ripley to ever end! Superb storytelling and photography!
Read the books. There are 5 in the series. Very entertaining.
You enjoyed all of the plot holes? Yikes.
because of yt censorship, the word is "spit"
"To incriminate the viewer." That is an excellent description of a key element of this story. I think that incriminating the reader is one of the most important elements of Highsmith's novel. This is just one of the critical elements of this excellent novel that Zaillian got so right.
Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr Ripley is one of my top 10 favourite novels of all time. Superbly written.
Bloody loved Ripley. Its style, languid story telling, humour. I’d argue it’s not a remake, it’s a new interpretation of the novel
I went back and tried to watch "The Talented....." movie that I thought was so great at the time. It fails to come close to this interpretation. It is unwatchable, in fact.
Argue all you want. It was unwatchable. The remake was boring and I am not blown away by the cinematography; I want a great script and acting. Too much tedious detail that is not inviting but off-putting in boring details. Oh I forgot to keep in mind the cinematography that is just so important. You care about Matt Damon not this guy or the others. Compare Dickie's charm in the movie to the Series. The worst you can say is the movies was too glib but Ripley could have used more of that that. Stair scenes add something but too much .. little payoff.
It's definitely not a remake, I agree
Looked up Zaillian movies and now I know I just don't like him . None of his movies were all that engaging. He's made a lot of big movies with two much excruciating details. Having no music is another poor choice here - then find music that won't lead us rather than bore us with small sound effects. In this movie, easy-dropping and waiting, stall the film.
@theboofin Appreciate your sound-effects.
This version was brilliant! Entire episodes dedicated to single murders.... Slow, exhausting and frustrating. Gave a lot of emphasis on the "why" of Ripley. Loved it.
as an italian, watching the series in original language, i must add the perfection of the dialogues spoken in italian by the various characters (both italians and americans)
Scott's ability to learn to speak Italian so lovely.
Sensory overloaded with beautiful precision.
Just finished this series today and fell in love with it. Andrew Scott is phenomenal in this, but I feel like Italy stole the spotlight. Well done.
I loved it so much!!! And shot so beautifully it hurt!!! Completely different than I expected. I'm so glad you showcased it!!! And Andrew Scott killed it, pun intended.
I'd watch the hell out of a "How Andrew Scott Perfected Ripley"-video.
@@Arcananine77 Ditto.
The plot holes are absurd.
Brilliant analysis. I love the black & white, the gorgeous settings, the lack of background music, the suspense.
This review explains exactly why no one could ever unsee this magnificent production and performance.
It grabbed me from the first few frames. The b&w presentation was amazing! Every scene was carefully planned and lit, and the varying perspectives took my breath away. Best thing I've seen in ages.
Ripley was SLOOOOW. But even as someone that 2x speed listens to all youtube videos I NEVER found myself impatient. The speed, in fact, felt extremely refreshing.
The movie was so much better. This has too much detail and is slow but not in a good way, and one likes Matt Damon Ripley so much more than this actor.
@@oppothumbs1 Yeah... simply dissagree
The series are a masterpiecie, the movie is mediocre
@@Garvin285 Did you think the movie was over-the-top or silly? Over the years I have watched it 5 times and I was always totally absorbed. I see that the series did better in ratings han the movie (movie received a 85% on rotten tomato), but I am in total disbelief reading about the love of the series.
@@oppothumbs1 Compared to the series? Yes definitely
The series are an indisputable art piece that creates the whole structure and goes into details with subleties, acting and camera work. It's a work of light, time, color (or the lack of it), sound and even language. The movie pales in comparison and while it isn't bad per se, it simply isn't much of any of that. I get the nostalgia but I find it insane to truly believe the movie is a better work of cinematography unless you really just get a headache or are bored with any more ambitious art. Every scene in this series is a good scene, many of them... are great. And with how the cinema in general was last few years, it's really nice to finally (meaning mostly year 2023/2024) see a refreshment.
And yes it's slow and have much details because that's exactly how... with good eye and imagination you can create a masterpiece. Infantile art needs to be "mad" "outrageous" or dirty... ambitious art needs to be clean, raw and pedantic at times some films can safely be both but just a story alone doesn't make a good movie and isn't even close to making a great one. Just making the plot interesting is also mediocricity, there is much more to cinema than it is to a book and this series feels like a set of finely captured photos with a smoke of an expensive cigar, a fine drink at a fitting weather outside and a perfectly matched record on a vinyl player. And it shows much more than just the plot... it's an insight into a whole world of it's own. I could eat it with a spoon everynight and by season three I'd probably know some italian, but it's good it ended here and there, because otherwise it wouldn't be so good.
@@Garvin285 OK thanks. My feeling is the delightful witty banter is so much better in the movie. Maybe it's less realistic in that sense; plus I like the faster pace which may have sacrificed detail and realism but the lines are all so compelling and witty; I was very entertained and amused. The charming personalities throughout are all likeable even if evil. Matt, Jude, Philip, Gwyneth, Cate and Jude's dad are people you care about and with well-rounded personalities and flaws.
So many unforgettable scenes are in the movie, including the boat party with all the tension and Freddie Miles taunting Tommy with "How's the Peeping Tommy? tommy tommy tommy". Freddie's intro scene, Dickie and Tom tub scene. Im the movie you slowly see Tom's evil but you know it from the start in the video. Tom and Marge and Dickie are pretty bland in the series but playful and engaging in the movie. The movie's music score is great.
I read Patricia Highsmith’s Talented Mr Ripley recently and these clips are brilliant visualisations of her scenes. This is not a remake. This looks like an excellent adaptation of the book as if the Matt Damon and John Malkovitch films didn’t exist or were disregarded completely.
Malkovitch was magnificent in Ripley's Game.
Has everyone noticed how the ONE TIME colour is used is when the cat steps into last droplets of blood?
I saw that too. What an amazing touch that was!!!
what does it mean tho?
@@alikhalil2863 For me, given that the while movie felt like an art piece, every shot so beautiful in a classic way, those droplets were like wake up to reality. Murder is ugly, there's nothing dreamy or artistic about it. IDk if I manage to get my point across. But that red pulled me out of the depth of the story, made it striking how this act interrupts harmony and beauty.
His biggest mistake? The one thing that could have brought him down maybe
Because the cat represents the audience, us. We see the blood through cat eyes.
Want to give a shoutout to Mauricio Lombardi, who plays the Inspector. Amazing performance
I think a "How Andrew Scott Perfected Ripley" video would be great.
The method of storytelling reminded me of Breaking Bad. It focused a lot on ‘process’. I remember how Walt and Jesse were confronted with ‘body disposal’ problems.
Watching this has caused me to not only read all the novels but also watch all the Ripley related movies. This series is the best adaptation of any of the Highsmith stories
Exactly right. Although Malkovich made a great Ripley in Ripley's Game.
This version is masterful. The actors are SO GOOD. You can see they know more than theyre saying to each other in the performances. I loved every second of it
Too bad the script is so ridiculous with plot holes you could drive a semi truck through. 🤦🏻 You are easily entertained by garbage.
I’ve watched this series 3 times.
Beautiful cinematography and fascinating with the Caravaggio nod.
Loved this take on ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’.
Superbly shot, great acting, fantastic locations. A true masterpiece.
TV doesn't get any better. Ripley is an absolute joy to watch. So well done and every element is pretty much perfect and works so well.
I agree. Ripley is my new all-time favorite series. Truly a masterpiece. Love the stunning B&W visuals. The suspense and dark, detailed unfolding of the story were masterful. I was totally engaged with the story from the opening sequence through to the last. This should go down in movie history as the pinnacle murder mystery cinema.
It shows just how damn difficult getting rid of evidence can be...two people can keep a secret if one is dead. The intensity, the adrenaline, the psychological strain, all of it.
Nicely observed. On a pedantic level, the series isn't a "remake" of the Mingella film, but another adaptation of the novel, but it does bring up questions I had after watching it. Are the dissimilar plot points in "Talented" a screenwriter creation, or do some of those events take place in subsequent entries of the book series? It's not like scripts won't make major changes, but if the ending is a Hollywood creation - showing him as a character capable of falling in love right on the heels of his murders - that's a pretty major departure from the impenetrable cold-as-ice sociopath we watched in Ripley. I searched, but couldn't find anyone commenting on the changes one way or the other. Talented is a tragedy of hubris. Ripley is a straight, chilling character study.
To my knowledge, in the novels Ripley never overtly expresses any kind of queer identity or affection for Dickie - but this is Patricia Highsmith we're talking about so it's safe to assume the subtext is there. I think the two Ripleys of the movie and miniseries respectively represent ends of a spectrum - Damon's Ripley being impulsive, emotional, and chaotic, whereas Scott's Ripley is devoid of feelings except those of resentment and envy, and filled instead with machinations. Personally I find the choice to age him up and make him more canny and world-weary is extremely evocative of our current times, whereas in the Minghella film it's very representative of the much different attitude that pervaded the 90s.
We live in different times...
Minghella actually changed a lot from the book. Peter Smith-Kingsley is mentioned once or twice in the book as a friend Tom makes in Venice but nothing past that. Meredith Logue just straight up isn’t in the book from my memory. Also the person who commented above that queer desire isn’t apparent in the book isn’t quite right. Tom out and out claims to like men and women to his New York friends: “I can’t make up my mind whether I like men or women, so I’m thinking of giving them both up”.
This claim is backed up by the very apparent lust he has for Dickie, which we see even after he’s decided to kill him on the boat, “he could have hit Dickie, sprung on him, or kissed him”. He also has a wife in the later books who he is also sexually attracted to, although arguably not in love with her
I would also like to say that Minghella’s Ripley is not the exact same character as the books and does not intend to be. I’ve seen quotes from Minghella saying that he wanted to create a more sympathetic character than the one Patricia Highsmith wrote, and that changes a lot the character intentions, for better or for worse (better in my opinion). Tom isn’t explicitly shown to be a criminal/scammer at the start of the movie, he’s just quite a talented and skilled liar. He is a lot less of a cold blooded killer too, as the situation with Dickie is more of a crime of passion. I would argue Minghellas version absolutely had the capacity to love- both Dickie and Peter- while Highsmith’s and the 2024 Ripley do not
@@dorkbaitart I found Scott's Ripley very expressive for the fact that he was trying to cover himself from the crime of murder by appearing so distant & calm & measured. He was a puzzle that the police could not completely finish.
The telephone! That phone! Also towards the end of the series, again! Brings back memories of a bygone era when you. didn't. know. who. was. calling.
I agree this version of Ripley is a masterpiece. Your description of its excellence is great. I would mention Ripley's fascination with the art of Caravaggio as a highlight.caravaggio was also a murderer. You di😅dnt mention the soundtrack which is superb .The use of popular Italian ballads of the 50' In particular the scene in the patio where the female singer walked down the steps towards the waiting audience She sang so evocatively, phrasing perfect,dressed elegantly in 50's fashion. She was.an actress miming a once famous italian singer which probably went unnoticed .It was such an exquisite scene,so superior to the loud frenzy of the jazz club in the earlier Ripley with Law and Damon.
Your comment deserves hundreds of likes. Great observations.
Thanks to this show I listen to Il Cielo In Una Stanza over and over
I watched it specifically so I can watch this video and it was so beautifully filmed! Every shot is cinematic, gorgeous!
Excellent and well put together analysis, thank you for making this, i had all but forgotten how bloody good this show was! Thank you and have a happy new year
I loveee how detailed, thorough, and critically engaged this video essay is!!!!!
Thank you, finally someone who loved this show as much as I did. All the other reviewers called it “boring”, hated so many details and frankly did not understand this masterpiece at all.
Dead-on commentary/analysis, as usual, and couldn't agree more -- it's quite the most evocative and authentic feeling takedown of Patricia Highsmith we've seen to date, and certainly the most intriguing television show of 2024 thus far. Engrossing, unnerving, and enveloping. Thanks ever so much.
I don’t usually comment on videos but you have done such a good job on analyzing each detail and putting into words the significance of each scene that I just had to commend you! I immediately liked and subscribe!
Well done. Great commentary on a beautifully crafted remake
Ripley was well-made enough to carry itself splendidly through the parts where it dragged
Great analysis for a superb series. Andrew Scott can do no wrong. If you haven't already, watch him in All of Us Strangers - beyond words
I have to agree Ripley is in my top series for this year - Shogun takes the top spot though for now
Ripley is sooo much better. Another ball park completely
@@Alerrrt Shogun is good but not nearly this good.
One of the best to come along in awhile.
Yes! I’ve been waiting for a channel I like to talk about this. If you do any more about this show I will watch them all.
Great series! So glad you did a video, was looking forward to your keen eye and insightful take on it. Keep em coming!
Only half way through but wow, incredible visually, and story telling.
The three adaptations of Patricia Highsmith's novel are really great: Purple Noon (1960), The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), and Ripley.
Thank you for this insightful analysis.
I’ve watched the entire thing twice. It’s insanely beautiful.
i watched it 3 times. reading the book again
Extremely well done overview of Ripleys world.
Very nice video, i felt everything you described while watching the show as soon as it was released…also, while digging up info, i found out there is an even older adaptation of the book, making that the original one, in the form of the french movie Purple Noon, can’t wait to watch that one as well! 🤗
I am watching it again it's so good! Andrew Scott takes it away very subtly, slowly, what a fantastic performance!
I loved this show so much that immediately after I started reading the book. And it's amazing how the book is even more dense. I think the show is still more gritty and dark, but both work in their own way/midia. In the book we are 100% inside Ripley's head, whereas in the show we only see his thoughts through his eyes (AMAZING performance by Andrew btw).
Yes. Scott's eyes were everything. They are dark & mysterious & expressive to a degree that is mesmerizes the viewer.
Love your breakdown explaining why I enjoyed this show so much. Thanks!
It was a masterclass in what film making should be.
I've been obsessed since watching the show and have sought many reviews such as this. And as much as I thought I could learn thing nothing new you threw in a few great observations. Your focus on the lift was great.
So glad you made this. I was trying to tell people how good this was after seeing it, because I was so surprised. The cinematography in black-and-white is just perfect. The acting is amazing and the series does not rush, which is so refreshing. Brilliant, and better than the film.
Ooooh! Thanks for the recommendation! I needed something new to watch :)
A really enjoyable video, as always!
Excellent analysis of an excellent series!
My significant other and I watched this, and we were obsessed. We've loved familiar dramas like Six Feet Under or True detective, severance, but after watching The Lighthouse, i was excited to watch something in black and white that captured acting and storytelling beautifully - and this was it.
Thanks - such good insights to an amazing movie. I realize now that the lack of insistent music, so common these days, adds enormously to the experience of Ripley.
Excellent observations. I was so blown away by this show, don't review shows/movies on my channel but did for this one. This might be the best neo-noir I've ever seen. Masterclass and one of the best remakes ever (your words)... couldn't agree more.
That boat is scarier than jaws and the elevator is as terrifying as the apartment building in The Tenant by Polanski
I began Ripley last night and just finished. Wow. What a ride! Everything about Ripley is A+. While the black & white took me out first by the end it was a clear artistic choice and the absence of color became part of the mood.
Except one element: the *horribly miscast* Freddy Miles. As one reviewer noted, the desk clerks seemed to have more intention in their casting than the actor who portrayed one of the plot’s driving characters.
Agreed! In contrast, Philip Seymour Hoffman is a brilliant Freddy Miles in the film The Talented Mr Ripley.
I wasn't aware of the series, but I am now, thanks for that 👍✌
A must!
Small point, but it's bothering me. "Ripley" is not a remake. It's an adaptation of a book/books. The books are brilliant and more credit should be given to Patricia Highsmith. There's a reason why this show was so good, and part of that credit lies with the complexity and viewpoint of the books. In my opinion, this show really captured the essence of the book. We become very aware we are rooting for the "bad guy". Maybe we are too. Or maybe things are always much more complex than just good and bad. (obviously, but it's captured so well ...)
There's nothing more interesting to me than the mundane in the dramatic. This series really surprised me.
I totally agree, on all points ! It is not a remake. And also , it was the brilliance of P. Highsmith who first created it all for us to enjoy, in all its variations. I read "The Talented Mr. Ripley" while laid up with a broken ankle at home in a small village in Wales. My fiancee got books from the library for me, and fortunately, he chose Mr. R. After that, I read every P.H. book I could get. Going for a re-read after having watched Ripley.
@@mp-ch2ws I think I need to reread it now too! Probably should read all of them while I'm at it.... :)
The sound design is brilliant!
I can only compare the two movies, the first one starring Alain Delon (same story) called "Purple Noon" ("Plein Soleil" in French) and the famous one starring Jude Law and Matt Damon. They have many points of intersection (being both of them the very same story) and yet they couldn't be more different. Some characters brought to life in The Talented Mr. Ripley simply can't be found in Purple Noon. But what really makes Purple Noon's atmosphere unique is the presence of Delon, the whole nostalgia of French Nouvelle Vague (it is more of a tribute to the Nouvelle Vague) and the shocking final scene, much better than the open epilogue of The Talented Mr. Ripley, in my humble opinion.
As someone who read the books many years ago. And has seen TTMR multiple times. I’m a little shocked I didn’t know about this series.
Thanks for the heads up.
Excellent review. Ripley is gripping television. My only point of difference is your use of the term “Gothic architecture”. Very little Gothic architecture is seen in this series. There is a predominance of ancient Roman, medieval, Renaissance and later centuries, all of which help to make Italy a historian’s dream to visit.
I need to watch this show!!!
Thanks, that was really good!
Thank you. This makes me want to see it so much more. And observe the details..
Very well done. Thank you Sir. I look forward to watching it myself.
Thank you and enjoy!
@@JustanObservationHello, can you also take a look into the purple noon 1960, which was the original mr. Ripley starribg Alain Delon
Loved this show - the scenes were so beautiful. Something about HD black and white.
I agree with you. As I was watching the first time, I was just hoping that it was good old Ripley, like the one with Matt Damon. It took me a little while to become really sure and just enjoy the ride until the end. Every murder scene and every details. I have rewatched it just a couple of days after and I think I was just smiling throughout the 8 episodes. Since that, every time I think about it, I google to see if the second season is on!
Great observation! Not "Just an Observation".. Kudos, for educating on how to view and appreciate good cinematic art.
May have to renew my subscription for this one. Just from the first few minutes of this video, it reminded me of Reed, Antonioni, Resnais, and Hitchcock. And a little bit of Greenaway. This is the kind of filmmaking I fell in love with.
Recently rewatched the film, but am half way through Ripley and it is stunning. A perfect dissection of murder
This is the same director who did Night Of and the similarities in direction and details, even the music are so apparent I loved it
Thanks! I had the same reaction (not another remake...) but this looks beautiful! And not just because I have a very soft spot for 40s-60s movies.
it's a great version and absolutely visually stunning. What was missing for me is what was so special about Dickie in this version? He didn't have the charisma and charm that Jude Law's Dickie had and I couldn't see how anyone would be really drawn in by him
Andrew Scott makes anything brilliant.
Definitely a great watch! The composition was 👌🏻✨✨✨✨
When he has the discipline not to have a drink, and instead goes all the way back to the Via Appia to finish the business, you know, if you didn’t already, what a masterpiece this is. The part where the motorboat careens round and round with its horrible cargo quasi-animated by the motion grows out of that scene in “Psycho” when it looks as if Marion’s car won’t sink.
Totally agree. Masterpiece! Grateful thanks to all artists, artistry and supportive audience consciousness.
If you liked the documentary aspect, I would recommend "C'est arrivé près de chez vous". It's a french movie that depicts a documentary about a serial killer
The pacing of the show is perfect. I didn't know this was a remake of an existing story. The fact that I can't fathom how the story squeezed into a 2h19m film says a lot about Zaillian's version.
Renaissance rather than gothic architecture I’d say….
It was as if I’m reading a book. Slow, methodical and yet riveting
Thoughtful analysis! Thank you. But I'm puzzled by the characterization of this as a remake. It's a translation of the novel to the screen, not a reworking of the Minghella film.
Never heard of Zallian but loved thos classic films he wrote.. he is a Brillian writer, where has he been hiding? Rippley, followed all the rules of filmmaking and the character journey, loved the suspense didn't like the ending, but that's because of other films giving you the answers. This film also shows how busy a criminal really is from planning, plotting, and movement. Such a well thought out film series a great cinematic journey. It also allows the view to think for themselves using silence, visual, and sound
I can't believe people like this! The characters are so dumb that they'd fit better in Naked Gun or Austin Powers. Who invites a stranger to his home just because he claims to be an old friend, when yourself have no memories of ever meeting him? Two morons gets killed because they confront the suspect and then turned their back on him and walk away! Thats the kind of stupidity you see in cheap horror movies like Friday the 13th! Come on guys, you all been blinded by the superb cinematography.
I watched it in original version and I loved the fact that all italians characters actually speak italian! In the spanish version for example the italians are dubbed in spanish.. it's so bad. Anyway, always watch in original version guys!
Btw, your review is perfect, very interesting!
Just watched the Alan Delon version Plein Soleil and that’s great too. All 3 versions are admirable. Loved the youthful Freddy in the Netflix effort.
Yeah, the show mostly being a modern but yet classic Hitchcock-ian take on the classic where every b/w frame is an artwork in itself! God, or maybe the devil in this case, truly is in the details! Amazing!
It is not a remake, it is an adaptation of the novel. It is faithful to the novel but not slavishly. However, the dealing with the body emphasis is there and part of what makes the book so good. The second in the book series, Ripley Underground, turns this up further. Patricia Smith imbues these scenes with a black humor while also giving great insight into Ripley. Tom's thinking is horrifying, hilarious and fascinating-I find the books oddly relaxing, something about viewing the world through Tom''s eyes. Maybe because his world view is simple, because he is, when all is said and done, a sociopath. The movie is a terrible adaptation of the novel as is Purple Noon (the earlier French adaption), both films simplify the character of Ripley in different ways.
I binge watched Ripley and enjoyed it so much that I had to watch other Ripley movies like "The Talented Mr Ripley" and "Purple Noon" with a very handsome Alain Delon. I understand the director wanted this version to be more of a film noir story, a more dark and sinister story so filmed it in black and white, but I did wish it was in colour. I missed seeing those glorious location shots in Italy in all their magnifico!
I would say that the 1999 film was the one that was like a Hitchcock. It very much has that location-as-character technicolor '50s glamor thing you get from VERTIGO, TO CATCH A THEIF and MARNEE. The Netflix series is more like '50s Film Noir meets Look Magazine photos. Although, the story itself is something you'd expect Hitchcock to tackle himself.
Hitchcock directed Highsmith's _Strangers on a Train_ rather than any of the Ripley books.
This show was an ASMR masterpiece