Who would have thought that a French film, possibly never heard of in America, could have been restored to film with color, re-released in theaters, recieve rave reviews by critics alike, and be considered a classic of the thriller genre.  I certainly was not thinking that when I rented the film Purple Noon, based on Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr. Ripley.  I had missed the film in theaters, although it would have been a sensation to see it, and waited nearly a year to for the movie to be available for rent.  But when I finally saw the movie, I could not believe my eyes, that a foreign film, nearly forty years old, could have been such a visual marvel as well as thriller.  There is not one single film in the past thirty years that compares to this spine-tingling mystery of passion, envy, and murder.

Alain Delon gives an excellent performance as Tom Ripley, a young man sent to Mongibello, Italy and  to try  and convince a long-time friend, Phillipe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet), to come back to San Francisco.  The envious Ripley soon commits murder and more to create the perfect crime.  He even begins to see Phillipe's now ex-fiancee, Marge (Marie Laforet).  Alain Delon's acting abilities are wonderful and unlike most actors, he does most of the talking with his eyes, which is a rare talent.  Marie Laforet does an excellent job, creating a tone of a young woman in despair that has no idea what's happening to her life.

      Director Rene Clement does a proficient job in creating the sun-drenched atmosphere that perfectly captures Highsmith's mood in her novel.  The lurid scenes of the Mediterranean and Italy are gorgeously shot, but they contribute even more to the suspense of the movie.  The musical score to the movie is spectacular and extremely thrilling.  

        Like Hollywood, France does not make films like this anymore.  The closest thing they can get to, is re-releasing such  spectacular movies as Belle De Jour, Touch of Evil, and ,of course, Purple Noon (Plein Soleil).  Next time you visit the video store rent one of the titles above, some of the best movies that have been released orr should I say re-released in the past few years.