Synopsis

Tom Ripley travels to Italy to persuade his wealthy friend Philippe Greenleaf to return home, but Philippe has no interest in leaving his carefree life behind. Fascinated by Philippe's money, confidence, and social position, Tom begins plotting a more permanent solution. As deception gives way to murder, he assumes another man's identity and tries to build a new life under the Mediterranean sun.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film's original French title, Plein Soleil, translates as "Full Sun." The English-language title Purple Noon emphasizes the story's contrast between dazzling Mediterranean light and increasingly sinister behavior.

• It adapts Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, but changes several plot details, including the ending. Highsmith admired the film's visual style and the performance in the central role, while criticizing the altered conclusion as a concession to public morality.

• Filming took place in Italy from August 3 through October 22, 1959. Locations included Rome and Ischia, with Ischia Ponte standing in for the fictional resort town of Mongibello.

• Romy Schneider, who was Alain Delon's girlfriend at the time, makes a brief appearance in the opening scene as a companion of Freddy Miles.

• The film helped establish Delon as an international star. Its combination of glamorous locations, sexual tension, and psychological crime later made it a key reference point for subsequent adaptations of Highsmith's Ripley story.

• A high-definition digital restoration was released by The Criterion Collection in 2012, accompanied by archival interviews with Highsmith and Delon.