‘Ripley': The Most Beautiful Photographed TV Show Ever Made? — World of Reel
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers
    • Contact
    • Hire Me
    • About
Menu

World of Reel

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Home
IMG_5530.jpg
Neon Acquires Jafar Panahi’s ‘It Was Just An Accident,’ Eyes Sixth Consecutive Palme d’Or [Cannes]
IMG_5532.jpg
Mubi Acquires ‘Sound of Falling’ [Cannes]
IMG_5527.jpg
Harris Dickinson’s ‘Urchin’ Impresses, Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Eleanor’ Falls Flat [Cannes]
IMG_5525.jpg
Apple TV+ Sets Five-Part Documentary on Martin Scorsese, Directed by Rebecca Miller
IMG_5517.jpg
Joachim Trier’s ‘Sentimental Value’ Earns RAVES [Cannes]
Featured
Capture.PNG
Aug 19, 2019
3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC
Aug 19, 2019

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

Aug 19, 2019

World of Reel

  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
  • More
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers
  • About
    • Contact
    • Hire Me
    • About

‘Ripley': The Most Beautiful Photographed TV Show Ever Made?

June 19, 2024 Jordan Ruimy

I recently finished watching all eight episodes of Steve Zaillian’s “Ripley,” currently available to stream on Netflix. The only question I have right now is if this isn’t the best shot TV series ever made, then what is? The visual language is second to none.

If you believe there’s been a more beautifully shot show then please, by all means, name it. The other contenders I’d include: “Mad Men”, “Breaking Bad,” “Chernobyl,” “Mindhunter,” “Better Call Saul,” “True Detective” (S1), and “Fargo.”

Andrew Scott stars in “Ripley,” which is based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel. The “All of Us Strangers” actor, so good here, portrays the sinister grifter, Tom Ripley, originally portrayed by the likes of Matt Damon, John Malkovich, Alain Delon and Dennis Hopper. Scott’s take is another essential entry to the character.

If you’ve seen Anthony Minghella’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” then the plot is fairly similar here. Ripley is hired by a wealthy man to travel to Italy to try to convince his son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return home. If you’re familiar with the source material, then you know what happens next. Set in 1960s Italy, it’s a “love” triangle between Ripley, Dickie, and Dickie’s fiancée, Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning), with an added dose of murder.

Zaillian wrote and directed all eight episodes. He is one of the best Hollywood screenwriters of the last 30 years. His credits include “Schindler’s List,” “Moneyball” and “American Gangster.” He’s also directed three films: “Searching for Bobby Fischer” and, less successfully, a botched remake of “All the King’s Men.” However, I did not expect anything close to this from him.

“Ripley” was shot in a chilly, textured black-and-white palette — which turns out to be a very inspiring creative decision. Best of all, former PTA regular, Robert Elswit (“There Will Be Blood,” “Punch Drunk-Love”) is credited as the cinematographer on all eight episodes. He shot the series with Arri Alexa LF digital cameras. The number of reflections, shadows and patterns is breathtaking to behold. The usage of negative space is exemplary.

I also love how, throughout “Ripley,” Tom’s fascination with Caravaggio ends up making the series parallel the artist’s baroque 16th century paintings. The Italian painter was famous for his use of contrasting light and dark, and it looks like Zaillian/Elswit tried to shoot the series that way, constantly manipulating light and shadow.

There’s also a TON of static shots in “Ripley,” with either little to no action, or movement in and out of the frame. This gives the viewer time to appreciate the composition and arrangement. Take, for example, the pivotal 20-minute boat scene between Tom and Dickie, an exemplary display of horrific tension delivered via static extreme closeups of the crime and a series of stunning wide shots of the boat.

The oppressive atmosphere, the gorgeous framing of the shots, it’s all just utterly intoxicating. This is a fearless series framed in a meticulously slow and scholarly way. Almost every single damn shot looks like a museum painting. Some are just jaw-dropping. “Ripley” makes the case that cinema can be found on the small screen via a series. It’s one of the very rare examples of that; the others I can think of, off the top of my head, would be Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return” and Kieslowski’s “Dekalog.”

However, it’s probably not the best Ripley adaptation we’ve gotten, especially with Wim Wenders’ “The American Friend,” Anthony Minghella’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” Liliana Cavani’s ultra-underrated “Ripley’s Game” and René Clément’s “Purple Noon” knocking at the door, but Zaillian’s series is an immensely impressive atmospheric twist on familiar material.

← Russo Brothers' ‘The Electric State' Cost $320 Million to Produce [Update]Jeff Nichols Wants ‘Alien Nation' Remake To Be His Next Film →

FOLLOW US!


Trending

Featured
IMG_5403.jpg
Ari Aster’s ‘Eddington’ POLARIZES; Starts as Satire, Ends in Horror — Not Everyone’s Buying It [Cannes]
IMG_5383.jpg
‘Sirat’ Screens — Surreal, Chaotic and Unsettling [Cannes]
IMG_5352.jpg
‘Mission: Impossible 8’ Review Embargo Breaks — It’s A Mess [Cannes]
IMG_5328.jpg
‘Sound of Falling’ Gets Bogged Down by Heavy Symbolism [Cannes]
IMG_4571.jpg
David Fincher & Brad Pitt Reunite for ‘The Continuing Adventures of Cliff Booth' + Plot Details

Critics Polls

Featured
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants
B16BAC21-5652-44F6-9E83-A1A5C5DF61D7.jpeg
Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘The Godfather’ Named Best Movie of the 1970s
public.jpeg
Critics Poll: ‘Do the Right Thing' Named Best Movie of the 1980s
Critics Poll: ‘Mulholland Drive' Named Best Film of the 2000s
g4.jpg
Critics' Poll: ‘Goodfellas' Named Best Movie of the 1990s
Critics Poll: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road' Named Best Movie of the 2010s
World of Reel tagline.PNG
 

Content

Contribute

Hire me

 

Support

Advertise

Donate

 

About

Team

Contact

Privacy Policy

Site designed by Jordan Ruimy © 2023