History Film / PurpleNoon

Compare ''Film/TheTalentedMrRipley'', a 1999 English-language adaptation of the same book that starred Creator/MattDamon as Tom, Creator/JudeLaw as Dickie, and Creator/GwynethPaltrow as Marge.

''Purple Noon'' (''Plein soleil'', "Full Sun") is a 1960 film from France directed by [[Creator/ReneClement René Clément]] (later known for ''Film/IsParisBurning'').

''Purple Noon'' (''Plein soleil'', "Full Sun") is a 1960 film from France directed by [[Creator/ReneClement René Clément]] (''Film/IsParisBurning'').

''Purple Noon'' (''Plein soleil'', "Full Sun") is a 1960 film from France directed by Creator/ReneClement.

''Purple Noon'' (''Plein soleil'', "Full Sun") is a 1960 film from France directed by René Clément.

''Purple Noon'' (''Plein soleil'', "Full Sun") is a 1960 film from France directed by Creator/ReneClement.

It is the first adaptation of Creator/PatriciaHighsmith's novel ''[[Literature/{{Ripliad}} The Talented Mr. Ripley]]''. Tom Ripley (Creator/AlainDelon in his StarMakingRole) is sent from America to France in order to get his friend, callow rich boy Philippe Greenleaf to stop gallivanting around Europe and come home to work in the family business. Philippe isn't particularly interested in coming back home and going to work, and Tom, who comes from a poor background, finds out he rather likes Philippe's luxurious lifestyle. Soon the both of them are gallivanting around, often in the company of Philippe's attractive girlfriend Marge.

* TheCameo: Romy Schneider, who was dating Alain Delon at the time, pops up in the opening scene as Freddie's companion.

It is the first adaptation of Creator/PatriciaHighsmith's novel ''[[Literature/{{Ripliad}} The Talented Mr. Ripley]]''. Tom Ripley (Creator/AlainDelon in his StarMakingRole) is sent from America to France in order to get his friend, callow rich boy Phillipe Greenleaf to stop gallivanting around Europe and come home to work in the family business. Phillipe isn't particularly interested in coming back home and going to work, and Tom, who comes from a poor background, finds out he rather likes Phillipe's luxurious lifestyle. Soon the both of them are gallivanting around, often in the company of Phillipe's attractive girlfriend Marge.

Eventually Phillipe grows weary of Tom, his fawning, lower-class companion, and starts to treat him badly. Tom is stung by betrayal from a friend he worships (and may be attracted to). Suddenly the tension erupts in violence.

* AdaptationalAlternateEnding: In the book, Ripley gets away with it. In the movie, Phillipe's corpse is discovered. Apparently Patricia Highsmith was irritated by this.
* AdaptationNameChange: Dickie Greenleaf from the novel gets the more French-friendly name Phillipe Greenleaf.

* AssholeVictim: Phillipe is a spoiled, self-centered, thoughtless ass.
* BigNo: From Marge when Phillipe's corpse is fished up.

** The blonde that Phillipe is nuzzling in the opening scene leaves behind an earring that Tom pockets. He later arranges for Marge to find it, to drive a wedge between her and Phillipe.

* CrimeAfterCrime: Tom is forced to murder Freddie, because Freddie has discovered that he impersonates Phillipe, so Freddie could understand that Tom killed Philippe.
* DeadPersonImpersonation: Tom murders Phillipe, then he impersonated him to seize his wealth.

* DramaticIrony: Marge receives a letter from Phillipe and says "It's so dull or flat, as if he were dead." What Tom and the audience both know is that Phillipe is dead, as Tom killed him.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Tom swigs from a bottle after the apparently unplanned murder of Phillipe.
* LoveTriangle: In which it's not clear if Tom is more into Phillipe or Marge.
* MurderTheHypotenuse: Tom murders Phillipe, Marge's boyfriend, then he tries to seduce Marge.
* NeverSuicide: Tom forges a note to make it look like Phillipe killed himself.
* SignificantBackgroundEvent: As Tom is very creepily putting on Phillipe's clothes in front of a mirror, pretending to be him, and ''kissing his reflection'', a pair of feet can just barely be seen at the top of the screen. It's Phillipe, who watches this weird scene and is not at all pleased.
* SlobsVersusSnobs: Tom comes from a poor background. Phillipe is a rich boy. Phillipe ill-treats Tom. Tom covets Phillipe's wealth and girlfriend. Tom murders Phillipe. Then, he impersonates him to seize his wealth and he tries to seduce his girlfriend.
* TranslationConvention: Freddie and Tom, both Americans, speak French to each other in the scene where Freddie finds Tom in what's supposed to be Phillipe's hotel room. What makes this odder is that Freddie makes a point of speaking one line in English to Tom earlier in the movie. ("So long, chum.")

** A green Fat Buddha statuette is visible in Tom's flat. When Freddie understand that Tom impersonates Philippe and he comes back to the flat, Tom uses it to kill him.

* ChekhovsGun: The blonde that Phillipe is nuzzling in the opening scene leaves behind an earring that Tom pockets. He later arranges for Marge to find it, to drive a wedge between her and Phillipe.

* NonIndicativeName: In English, anyway. ''Plein soleil'' is evocative of the sunny Mediterranean where most of the film is set. ''Purple Noon'' is completely random.

* TranslationConvention: Freddie and Tom, both Americans, speak French to each other in the scene where Freddie finds Tom in what's supposed to be Phillipe's hotel room. What makes this odder is that Freddie makes a point of speaking one line in English to Tom earlier in the movie. ("So long, chum.")

* TranslationConvention: Freddie and Tom, both Americans, speak French to each other in the scene where Freddie finds Tom in what's supposed to be Phillipe's hotel room. What makes this odder is that Freddie makes a point of speaking one line in English to Tom earlier in the movie. ("So long, chum.")
* VerbalIrony: Marge receives a letter from Phillipe and says "It's so dull or flat, as if he were dead." What Tom and the audience both know is that Phillipe is dead, as Tom killed him.

* MakeItLookLikeAnAccident: Tom forges a note to make it look like Phillipe killed himself.

Eventually Phillipe grows weary of Tom, his fawning, lower-class companion, and starts to treat him badly. Tom, stung by betrayal from a friend he worships (and may be attracted to), concocts a plan. A plan that involves murder.

Compare ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'', a 1999 English-language adaptation of the same book that starred Creator/MattDamon as Tom, Creator/JudeLaw as Dickie, and Creator/GwynethPaltrow as Marge.

* SignificantBackgroundEvent: As Tom is very creepily putting on Phillipe's clothes in front of a mirror, pretending to be him, and ''kissing his reflection'', a pair of feet can just barely be seen at the top of the screen. It's Phillipe, who watches this weird scene and is not at all pleased.

* NonIndicativeName: In English, anyway. ''Plein soleil'' is evocative of the sunny Mediterranean where most of the film is set. ''Purple Noon'' is completely random.

* LoveTriangle: In which it's not clear if Tom is more into Phillipe or Marge.