FULL SUN (PLEIN SOLEIL: PURPLE NOON)

France, 1959, 112 minutes, Colour.
Alain Delon, Marie Laforett, Maurice Ronet.
Directed by Rene Clement.

Full Sun (Purple Noon) is a very effective thriller from Rene Clement. Clement has made quite a number of thrillers over several decades. However, his early fame came from a number of realistic films, especially Forbidden Games, the film about children during the war, and Gervaise, a version of Emile Zola’s novel with Maria Schell. With Full Sun he moved into the thriller vein in which he was so successful in such films as The Love Cage, Rider on the Rain, Wanted: Babysitter. He has also made such war films of mixed critical acclaim as The Day and The Hour and Is Paris Burning? Alain Delon is the main star and has specialised in this kind of thriller role over quite a long time.

1. How entertaining and effective was this film as a drama, a thriller, a moral fable? Why?

2. How well did the director build up his situation to prepare for Tom Ripley's impersonation?

3. What kind of man was Philip Greenleaf - playboy, moody etc.? Why did he play with death with Tom? Did he depend on Tom? Why didn't he follow through his suspicions about the bankbook, the earring in the pocket? was he too gullible? Did he really love Marge - his throwing the manuscript away?

4. The significance of leaving Tom in the dinghy and the sunburn?

5. Were you sorry when Philip was killed?

6. What kind of man was Tom? He was quite direct about his intentions? Why did people not believe him? Was he sane or not ? a cunning, heartless murderer or what?

7. How did the pace of the film change after Philip's murder (even the swelling and choppy seas to begin with)?

8. How well had Tom planned his crime? How well did he execute it and cover every eventuality?

9. Did the audience come to identify with Tom as he had to keep a step ahead? Did you want him to be caught?

10. How effective was the suspense in this part of the film? Which details illustrate this best?

11. Why did Tom kill Fred? Was this a mistake on his part?

12. Did Tom have any right to play on Marge's feelings about Philip? How cunningly did he turn her love towards him?

13. what were your feelings as he sat back in the end happy ? did Wu think he had succeeded? Did Wu want him to succeed?

14. Was the final revelation too unexpected or was it a satisfying ironic twist at the end? Were you finally glad he was found out?

15. What insight into the mind, motives and cunning behaviour of a man like Tom does a film like this give? Apart from the obvious entertainment, suspense, has it any real value?