Netflix’s Ripley – What I Felt

Ripley, the newest addition to the Netflix catalogue is intriguing the masses, to say the least. Who isn’t fascinated with the character of Tom Ripley? Many of us draw this fascination from an earlier adaptation, The Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Jude Law as the spoilt millionaire Dickie and Gweneth Palthrow as his devoted but sceptical lover. In comes Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, and their lives are never the same.

In the new Netflix series, the main lead is played by Andrew Scott, who had some big shoes to fill. His acting is convincing and does give you an insight into the character. For me however, the direction and screenplay was the star. Steven Zaillian has done a phenomenal job as a director and screenwriter.

As Ripley finds himself is favourable waters, the director never forgets to resurface elements of his life back in New York to his new life in Italy.

Ripley, with the confidence to sell his lies, is also deeply scared of getting caught. Always cautious of his surroundings, his anxiety is beautifully captured in the encounters with policemen on the streets and stations. As he walks past these men in uniforms, you can see the cracks in his facade and the fear behind his smile.

Another element that fascinated me a lot were the stairs. The screenplay is such that we often see Ripley and at times other characters struggle with climbing stairs. Stairs, in my eyes have been used time and again in the screenplay to exaggerate the wealth gap between Tom and Dickey Greenleaf. Everytime, Tom has to approach Dickie or later on, become Dickie, he is faced with long flights of stairs that tire him down. Even in the moment when there is a lift available in the building, it’s rarely ever functioning when Tom needs it.

It brings to light the fact that no matter how convincing the imitation is, he cannot leave his identity behind him and wear the cloak of someone else’s comforts.

This series only gets better with each episode and the fact that it is shot in black and white, gives more depth to the characters.

Let me know which parts you appreciate the most :)