Purple Noon (Widescreen): Amazon.ca: Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet, Marie Lafort, Erno Crisa, Frank Latimore, Billy Kearns, Ave Ninchi, Viviane Chantel, Nerio Bernardi, Barbel Fanger, Lily Romanelli, Nicolas Petrov, Ren Clment, Patricia Highsmith, Paul Ggauff: DVD

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A member of the middle generation of French filmmakers between Renoir and the New Wave, René Clément was a strong visual stylist who tried on different subjects and genres: documentaries, semidocumentaries, wartime dramas, comedies. In Purple Noon he showed a strong facility for feverish film noir, and the results are quite memorable. Based on Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, the film stars Alain Delon as the notoriously amoral Ripley (a character also played, albeit quite differently, by Dennis Hopper in Wim Wenders's The American Friend). Envious of a playboy pal (Maurice Ronet) having a luxurious time on the Mediterranean, Ripley decides to murder the man and assume his identity. The subsequent suspense concerns the dirty deed done and the aftermath of complicated cover-ups, and in the best Hitchcockian sense you can never quite tell whose side you're on as Ripley's efforts at survival are followed in meticulous detail. Mesmerizing to watch, saturated in light and color, and topped by Delon at his most icy, Purple Noon is a terrific discovery for enthusiasts of film noir and the French cinema. --Tom Keogh

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Customer Reviews

25 Reviews

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.4 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good movie/Ok DVD, Jan 24 2002

By

mackjay (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Purple Noon (Widescreen) (DVD)

Many comparisons can be made between "Plein Soleil"(better translated as "Broad Daylight" than "Purple Noon") and "The Talented Mr. Ripley". They are both good films, with incredibly intriguing story lines and fine performances. The cinematography in both films is superb as well. The more recent version does look better, technically, but the Clement film is very pleasing to the eye, not just for the scenery, but for the incredible beauty of the young Alain Delon.
This is not really a 'great' film--it's really just about the intrigue, and it fascinates the viewer by forcing identification with a nefarious protagonist--but it is mighty entertaining.

The Miramax DVD is something of a disappointment. Apart from some flashing in several scenes, the film transfer looks mostly very good. There is some distortion in the mono soundtrack, which unfortunately mars Rota's lovely score. Yet, there is at least one moment when everything works together beautifully: for instance the non-dialogue scene where Tom Ripley looks over an outdoor fish market in Naples--the colors, Delon's face and the music combine for five minutes of cinematic magic.

The DVD is also a letdown in terms of features: there are three skimpy trailers, NOT including one for "Plein Soleil". The English subtitles must be turned on, they are not automatic, AND the French-language soundtrack must be selected from the setup menu, otherwise the disc defaults to the inferior English-dubbed version.
Still worth having for an enjoyable movie

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5.0 out of 5 stars Catch Me If You Can..., July 19 2004

By

yygsgsdrassil "yygsgsdrassil" (Crossroads America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Purple Noon (Widescreen) (DVD)

....fans of the stories of master improvisionist Tom Ripley will truly love this inspired piece of French cinema filmed in the sixties. It shows no signs of being dated and no signs of those non-sequitur and dreaded foreign film edits that makes the viewer say, "What the heck does this mean?" When I saw it again recently on IFC, I was enthalled by the pacing of Tom's manueverings on the boat and the difficult dispatching of the good life gadabout Freddy from the apartment. The lead actor makes you feel as if the modern day Ripley would have been better served by Banderas, not Damon. Not necessarily to undercut Damon's performance, but this Ripley is more of a dark european which seems to fit better. Also there are snatches of everday goings about and faces in the crowd which give the movie a distinct flair. A warning though: if you can't handle english subtitles, this ain't for you. I found them not to be so much of a hinder, but some movie viewers may not.

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5.0 out of 5 stars One of the top notch film noir ever filmed, May 28 2004

By

Hiram Gomez Pardo (Valencia, Venezuela) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Purple Noon (Widescreen) (DVD)

If I had to give my personal list of the ten greatest film noir ever, this one would be one of them.
Delon reached one of his peaks as actor with this one. His sense of the betrayal symbol and above all the decadence moral symbol is what precisely makes an universe of difference with Matt Damon in Langhella remake. Damon is just only perverse, not decadent.
Maurice Ronet was always a prominent actor. Though his major achievement as actor was Feu follet from Louis Malle in 1963, it deserves a perfect balance with Delon.
Rene Clement was one of the most gifted french film maker from the post war generation. His major works were Forbidden games (1953)and this one.
The growing tension in this film invades you psycologically, slowly the film compells you and carries us to an unexpected ending, in that unforgettable sequence in front the sea.
Don't miss one of the golden gems in any age of the film noir. And remember Patricia Highsmith (Strangers on a train and the american friend) was the writer of this monumental work.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars MIDDAY SUN and just a touch of HEAT.
DELON's 'heat' that is - what a debut, and what eyes, face and smile! One almost wants him to get away with this one - and maybe he does ... Read more

Published on April 11 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars HYPNOTIC FRENCH NOIR
The French title Plein Soliel has been translated PURPLE NOON (Miramax), but "broad daylight" is more accurate. Read more

Published on Sep 3 2003 by Robin Simmons