Purple Noon

Résumé

Tom Ripley, a childhood friend of wealthy American Philippe Greenleaf, has been sent to Italy by Philippe’s father, who is prepared to pay Tom five thousand dollars if he can persuade his son to return home. But Philippe prefers life in Italy. Meanwhile Tom is financially dependant on him, as Philippe and his friend Freddy are always humiliatingly reminding him. After a trip to Rome, Philippe and Tom return to Philippe’s flat in Mongibello to fetch Marge, his girlfriend. Then all three of them go sailing on Philippe’s yacht. But now Philippe’s humiliating treatment of Tom goes too far. To get even, Tom provokes a lovers’ quarrel and Marge insists on being set ashore. Now they are alone Tom again asks Philippe when he plans to return to the States. When Philippe says ‘never’ Tom stabs him and throws his dead body overboard. Returning to Mongibello, he tells a devastated Marge that Philippe never wants to see her again. He then moves on to Rome, pretends to be Philippe, forges his name on money orders and spends lavishly. Freddy, Philippe’s friend, discovers this, so Tom must kill him too. Then the police decide the elusive Greenleaf is Freddy’s murderer, so Tom becomes Tom Ripley again and forges documents to prove Philippe committed siucide after leaving all his money to Marge. Since Marge has now transfered her affections to Tom, he considers that she and her inherited money are now, to all intents and purposes, his own. But Philippe’s boat must be winched out of the water to inspect the hull, and, just as Tom is at last about to enjoy « the very best of everything », the police find Philippe’s corpse snagged on the boat’s propeller.