Unraveling 'Ripley': A Neo-Noir Masterpiece
Chronologically dominated by the 60s, ‘Ripley’ revolves around the life of an unscrupulous con artist Tom Ripley who accepts a lucrative job of recovering a young man from an affluent family who went wayward in Italy. What this viewer gets is a psychological horror that plays out on the mind, as we follow the character of ‘Ripley’ in a complex world of duplicity. Its tone is suspenseous and rather self-reflective, which is inherent to neo noir movie. The plot effectively touches such incredible themes as the multifaceted nature of human personality and the vices one is ready to embrace to keep the disguise.
Andrew Scott performs the main character, Tom Ripley, with excellence portraying the character’s nuances in an outstanding manner. Dakota Fanning loves him well as she plays the other role that gives more dimension to the movie. The stellar cast especially Johnny Flynn who infuses energy into the series it would be unforgettable.
The direction is done petuintely well by Steven Zaillian who plots suspense and mystery throughout the series. Bringing out the psychological aspect in Ripley, the vision of the show proves to be quite engaging for viewers.
In ‘Ripley,’ the use of music is good; The series uses a combination of modern and ancient music that will work well to match the mood and drama of the series’ scenes.
The show is well lit and shot; it captures the essence of the 1960s and takes the viewers from the busy streets Another positive note is the fact that elaborate costume design is provided with the actors and makeup perfectly fitting to the 1970s imagery, the same with the set design.
There are no abundant usage of special effects to capture the Gainsborough setting as seen with some other movies but wherever it’s applied, the application is perfect to complement the narrative and character build up.
Cinematography: Remarkably tidy, the cutting method used in It fits into the tenor of the series’ tension and the dramatic reveal.
As a series, it progresses rather slowly, but this enables the viewer to get ingrained within Ripley’s world and the build up of tension. This puts all scenes under pressure, which makes every shot meaningful and filled with tension.
Just like all the dialogues in the film ‘Ripley’, all the characters are portrayed with much detail and depth. Dialogues and jokes are filled with sarcasm and irony making a huge impact to the overall depth of tension in the story.
Moving on to ‘Ripley,’ although the film is excellent is some aspects, some viewers may find the pacing compared to its predecessor rather slow. Furthermore, the plot is filled with a high density of psychological angles that could turn off viewers in the search of simple entertainment. But for those fond of stories that revolve around the characters, it is worth watching.
‘Ripley’ is an intricate neo-noir psychological thriller which elements include the plot, actors, and cinematography are worth it. It’s a mental one that leaves your soul to consider issues to do with identity and ambition. I don’t mean it is a series, it is much more; it is a voyage into the abyss of the soul.
