The Talented Mr. Ripley essays

The Talented Mr. Ripley essays Directors often base their films on novels; however, directors many times will alter the characters, plots, and settings of their films to appeal to an audience more than the novel. Changing the overall image of a character and accentuating different elements of a setting for a film will alter an audiences perspective of the character. This new opinion of the character in the film usually portrays the directors feelings toward a particular character, whether the feelings are positive or negative. The Talented Mr. Ripley is a wonderful example of changing a character and setting so they will come across to an audience in the same way the character appeals to the creator. A good scene for comparison is when Marge finds Dickies beloved rings among Tom Ripleys possessions. This scene shows how the drastic differences in Marges character changes the relationship of Tom and Marge in the novel and film and also changes the audiences perspective of Marge because of the different ways Pa tricia Highsmith and Anthony Minghella wrote her character. The setting of the ring scene is different in the novel and film. Marge confronts Tom with the dilemma of Dickie having taken off his rings in a large, open room in the novel; an open room for an open mind. This open room instills a feeling of receptiveness on the part of Marge. Tom has been sitting on a sofa that has just been described as fitted his shoulders like someones arm, or rather fitted it better than somebodys arm... The cozy sofa also makes the reader aware that Tom is very vulnerable at this point in the movie because he is relaxed and drowsy. Highsmith is able to change the cozy feeling quickly though because she then draws attention to Toms nervous actions when Marge informs Tom that she has found Dickies rings. Tom stands up quickly; he bumps into on of his shoes and picks it up; he holds the sho...