Tom Ripley remains one of the most enigmatic characters to ever cross from literature to both the big and small screen, with a wealth of portrayers – from Alain Delon to Andrew Scott – bringing Patricia Highsmith’s character to life. With Ripley out on Netflix, one of the stars of 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, Jude Law, has some major praise for the latest adaptation. (You can also read our own Alex Maidy’s 9/10 review here.)
Jude Law may not have played Tom Ripley (he portrayed the conned Dickie Greenleaf), but he recognizes just how good Steven Zaillian’s version is while also praising the source material. “I’ve watched at least five or six of [the episodes]…Like any great source material, it’s really rewarding and interesting to watch something from a new perspective, a new angle…I’m enjoying it…How can one not? It’s such great material. You’re in great hands with wonderful actors, and it’s such an interesting character. Both versions reflect the director in many ways. One is visual, colorful, and romantic. The other is quite forensic and more sinister.”
Building on this and offering a contrast between this version and Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, Jude Law added, “Steve Zaillian’s, in many ways, couldn’t be further from Anthony’s…It’s very interesting to see what scenes and threads still come to the surface, even if they are very different stylistically and in their pacing.” While he admits he hasn’t seen The Talented Mr. Ripley in quite some time, he also felt Ripley gave him a sort of nostalgia as he recognized different things and people from his movie.
That’s not surprising; and even fans of the numerous adaptations must feel something similar as they go through watching them all. Prior to The Talented Mr. Ripley (with Matt Damon in the title role) and Ripley (Andrew Scott), Highsmith’s novel was adapted in 1960 with the aforementioned Delon paving the way. Following that came 1977’s The American Friend, adapted from “Ripley’s Game”, which was also turned into a 2002 film starring John Malkovich. Barry Pepper would also play the character in 2005’s Ripley Under Ground.
Who has been your favorite Tom Ripley portrayer? Drop your pick in the comments below and let us know how you’re enjoying Netflix’s Ripley.
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