Much of the credit for this goes to Andrew Scott. The actor has proven his outstanding talent many times, but what he does in “Ripley” is true virtuosity. Steven Zaillian’s series is based on Scott’s performance, it is essentially one-man theater at its best. It is no accident that I refer to theater, because “Ripley” is a production that tries to be very close to the viewer. Over the course of eight episodes, we spend most of our time with Tom Ripley. We see him from every possible angle: when he sits, thinks, writes, packs his bags, schemes, cheats, loops in his madness. We look at his hands, his face, analyze his frowning expressions, false smiles, and the worry on his forehead. All this thanks to Andrew Scott’s role is an extraordinary spectacle. Even watching the hero put the signet ring on his finger becomes an event.
Impressive summer
Interestingly, the action of “Ripley” moves very slowly. The first episodes are actually an impression of how we imagine an Italian holiday. It is also important that the series was created as a black and white production, so associations with Italian cinematography of the 1960s are inevitable, as are its later reinterpretations.
We meet Tom Ripley in New York. The year is 1960, and this resourceful young man is involved in frauds both large and small. Using tricks known only to him (a set of appropriate stamps, a typewriter, a list of contacts, correspondence paper), he forces double payments for services that have already been paid for a long time ago. He calls older people to pay for a doctor’s visit, threatens him with debt collection actions, and this is how his days pass. He spends his nights thinking about who else to fool. Everything changes when he receives an offer to bring the wayward son of the owner of a New York shipyard from Italy. Tom is to go to Dickie Greenleaf (played by Johnny Flynn) and convince him to return to America, for which he will be richly rewarded.
In new skin
The hero easily enters the new reality. He is delighted with the clothes that the Grennleafs order for him before he sets off on his journey to the old continent. He loves visiting the tailor, choosing shoes and bathrobes (as it turns out, the choice of bathrobe reveals his unrefined taste, which hurts him especially when he hears critical opinions about what he himself considers beautiful from two different sources). He is absorbed by a new world, previously seen through a glass window. He easily fits into Dickie’s European lifestyle and becomes comfortable with privileges that are not his own.
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An impatient viewer may conclude that “nothing happens” in the first three episodes, but this is the extraordinary charm of this dreamy Italian atmosphere that lulls our attention. Everything that happens later, the decisions made by Ripley, attempts to step into someone else’s skin, live someone else’s biography, assimilate to a foreign world, lead us to an investigation; after all, it is also a thoroughbred thriller. An unusual thriller because it does not try to be spectacular in the crime scenes, but in the scenes where we get to know the criminal.
“David with the head of Goliath”
The unhurried pace of the plot and how deeply we immerse ourselves in the details of the hero’s life (seemingly unimportant, such as the already mentioned choice of robe or his penchant for expensive signet rings), makes us feel that we are on a boat with Ripley, in a in the elevator and in the car that parks at the Claudius Aqueduct. The stuffy atmosphere of Italian cities (from Rome, through Naples and San Remo), cobbled streets, endless stairs, creates a sense of danger, and over time it tightens its grip on the hero’s neck. An ordinary crime collides with art, because in “Ripley” when a murder occurs, the creators immediately remind us of Caravaggio’s paintings. “David with the head of Goliath” haunts Tom and tells more about his actions than the hero himself does to any of his friends from the new or old world.
Tom is a lonely island. In his desire to advance and gain honors, he does not care about the feelings of others; this is proven by the letter he sends to his aunt, ending it with the eloquent sentence: “you’re over me, and I’m over you.” Brutal but honest. This is how Ripley works, but when the process of unmasking his intentions begins (which happens over time and involves various characters), he ruthlessly fights for survival, deals blows and does not play with subtleties. It’s just brutal.
One actor’s show
“Ripley” is an outstanding performance by Andrew Scott. His interpretation of Tom Ripley is a real pleasure to watch. The second set also does a great job, but it’s impossible to look at anyone else when Scott appears on stage. The actor has long proven that he is excellent in both drama and comedy (just mention his appearances in “Sherlock” and “Fleabag”), and “Ripley” is the icing on the cake of his achievements so far.
Apart from Scott’s role, the series is built on details. The night during which a crime takes place and the criminal transports the body to a secluded place looks like, on the one hand, it resembles a noir film game, and on the other hand, it becomes a tribute to its loyal fans. The last act (episodes six to eight) is a crime story – the investigator tracks down the perpetrator. The pace of the action changes, new heroes appear and the chase begins. The series is gaining a new breath.
In the end, what matters most is Ripley and his intentions. Can we understand him, sympathize with him, fight for unequally distributed luxury goods, or condemn him for trying to enter without an invitation? After the screening, different answers will be given.
The eight-episode series “Ripley” is available on the platform from April 4 Netflix.
