{"id":49030,"date":"2024-04-05T07:00:19","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T05:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2016764"},"modified":"2024-04-05T07:06:52","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T05:06:52","slug":"6-ripley-changes-made-by-netflix-from-the-book-the-talented-mr-ripley","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/6-ripley-changes-made-by-netflix-from-the-book-the-talented-mr-ripley\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ripley changes made by Netflix from the book The Talented Mr Ripley\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Netflix adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley bears some differences to the novel. <\/p>

By Lewis Knight\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 05 April 2024 at 05:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

On the whole, the new Netflix series Ripley<\/a> is incredibly faithful to the novel The Talented Mr Ripley by legendary thriller writer Patricia Highsmith.<\/p>\n

The series adapts the first of Highsmith\u2019s novels and utilises its longer form of eight episodes to provide detail and colour (not literally, of course, given the black-and-white cinematography) to the story.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Netflix about the decision to tackle the story in this format, writer-director Steven Zaillian revealed: \u201cI\u2019ve been a fan of Patricia Highsmith\u2019s books for a long time. She wrote five about her most notorious character, Tom Ripley. When the chance came to tell the first Ripley novel in long-form, rather than just the two hours of a feature, I took it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt I could get closer to the rhythms of her tale and Tom\u2019s character this way. She sometimes describes events in real-time and in great detail, which is quite effective in linking us to Tom Ripley and somehow making us complicit in his crimes, and the longer form allowed me to do this visually.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are, naturally, some changes between the book and the series in adapting the story, however.<\/p>\n

So, here are the most notable elements that stick out as different to the iconic source material in Ripley.<\/p>\n

**Spoiler warning for Ripley and novel The Talented Mr Ripley**<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 Ripley changes made by Netflix from the book The Talented Mr Ripley\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1 . Tom Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf\u2019s ages<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Johnny\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf in Ripley.<\/span><\/figcaption> Courtesy of Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In the novel, Tom Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf are both post-grads and 25 years old, meaning they\u2019re both still quite youthful and have not long left college life.<\/p>\n

In the series, both characters are referred to as being in their 30s, while actor Andrew Scott is a youthful-looking 47 and Johnny Flynn is 41.<\/p>\n

This does somewhat change the dynamics a bit more as both characters in the book seem more like \u201cbright-young things\u201d from the US who are living a relaxed life in the US, as opposed to appearing more as grounded adults with middle-aged sensibilities.<\/p>\n

2. Freddie Miles<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Eliot\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Eliot Sumner as Freddy Miles in Ripley.<\/span><\/figcaption> Courtesy of Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In the novel The Talented Mr Ripley, Freddie Miles is an American playwright who is a redhead, overweight, and rather brash. He certainly is skeptical of Ripley but not outwardly rude or offensive. Ripley kills Miles out of absolute necessity to protect his secret and even feels some regret that it had to go that way.<\/p>\n

In the series, Freddy<\/em> Miles has a much different presentation, with Elliot Sumner\u2019s chiselled looks, and is also a quieter and more sedate figure, but is even more openly suspicious, displaying contempt and rudeness towards Ripley.<\/p>\n

This brash rivalry with Ripley also contributes to Miles\u2019s death and even adds an element of a crime of passion to Ripley furiously killing him.<\/p>\n

3. Character name changes<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Maurizio\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Ripley. Maurizio Lombardi as Inspector Ravini in Ripley.<\/span><\/figcaption> Philippe Antonello\/Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The most notable change is the name of Inspector Pietro Ravini. He is only a lieutenant in the novel and is called Tetente (lieutenant) Roverini.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Freddie\u2019s friend Max Yoder in the series was named Van Houston in the novel The Talented Mr Ripley.<\/p>\n

5. Character omissions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Andrew\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley in Ripley.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lorenzo Sisti\/NETFLIX.<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Some smaller characters from the novel are absent from the series.<\/p>\n

The most notable of these has to be Cleo Dobelle<\/strong>, a platonic female friend of Tom\u2019s from New York who is a painter and with whom he shares a genuine friendship.<\/p>\n

Tom continues to write to Cleo even after he has abandoned America for a new life in Europe.<\/p>\n

Another absence is the British expat Peter Smith-Kingsley<\/strong>, who Tom meets in Venice and even briefly imagines attaching himself to in a similar vein to what he did with Dickie, but decides against it.<\/p>\n

The 1999 film memorably expanded Peter\u2019s role into a full-blown love interest and victim of Ripley, but he does not appear even in his small book role here.<\/p>\n

5. Locations<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Dakota\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood, Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf and Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley in Ripley.<\/span><\/figcaption> Courtesy of Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The series is primarily set in Atrani, which is not the location of the novel, which is the fictional location of Mongibello.<\/p>\n

Zaillian told Netflix that the primary reason for this was due to the increased gentrification of the Amalfi Coast and how some locations could no longer represent their historical appearance from the 1950s\/1960s.<\/p>\n

The writer-director revealed: \u201cEarly on, we drove the length of the Amalfi Coast, from Salerno to Sorrento, looking for the town we imagined Dickie Greenleaf settled in. Most have been too modernized or gentrified for a story taking place in 1960, but there was one we came upon \u2014 a village of about 800 people called Atrani \u2014 that we found perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. The ending<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Andrew\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Andrew Scott as Tom Ripley posing for a portrait with the title imposed behind of Ripley.<\/span><\/figcaption> NETFLIX<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The book The Talented Mr Ripley ends not only with Tom Ripley getting away with his crimes but also marvellously conning the Greenleafs into believing a fake will that leaves Dickie\u2019s fortunes and status as the family heir to Tom.<\/p>\n

Tom, now openly his true identity, leaves Venice with his newfound fortune and heads off to Greece as he had always hoped and planned and even envisioned with Dickie by his side once upon a time.<\/p>\n

Yet, despite his success, his fears of someday being caught out appear ever relevant as he often daydreams of being intercepted by police.<\/p>\n

In the series, Ripley is successful, but not quite to the extent of the book, and ends up making friends with criminal Reeves Minot (John Malkovich), who is present in the second novel, Ripley Under Ground.<\/p>\n

Minot provides Ripley with a false identity as Timothy Fanshaw and Tom plans to reside in Venice and is a collector of art.<\/p>\n

Yet, in the final scene, a delivery of Marge Sherwood\u2019s published book to Inspector Ravini sees the detective realise he was duped when he previously met \u2018Dickie Greenleaf\u201d \u2013 leaving an open ending to a potential downfall for Tom.<\/p>\n

However, given Tom\u2019s new identity, this just got a whole lot harder for the authorities\u2026<\/p>

Ripley will arrive on Netflix on Thursday 4th April.\u00a0Sign<\/a>\u00a0up for Netflix from \u00a34.99 a month<\/a>. Netflix is also available on\u00a0Sky Glass<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Virgin Media Stream<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out more of our\u00a0Drama<\/a>\u00a0coverage or visit our\u00a0TV Guide<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Streaming Guide<\/a>\u00a0to find out what\u2019s on.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only \u00a310 \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to\u00a0The Radio Times Podcast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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