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Tom Ripley and Philippe Greenleaf are two young,
pleasure-seeking Americans vacationing in Italy. Tom has been
promised $5,000 by Philippe's father if he can persuade Philippe to
return to America, but Tom soon realizes that he will never collect
his fee. Envious of Philippe's boat, his expensive clothes,
and his desirable mistress, Marge, Tom plots to take Philippe's
place.
While alone with Philippe on the boat, Tom stabs his
friend with a fish knife, wraps his body in a tarpaulin, and drops
it over the side. Back in port, he assumes Philippe's
identity, forging checks and passports, and living Philippe's kind
of life. Tom explains to Marge that Philippe no longer loves
her and does not wish to see her again. Then, suddenly, the
impersonation is discovered by an old friend of Philippe's and Tom
is once more forced to kill. Realizing that "Philippe" will be
the chief suspect, Tom fakes Philippe's suicide and signs Philippe's
name to a note bequeathing his fortune to Marge. He then
resumes his own identity as Tom Ripley and begins wooing Marge.
All goes as planned: the now-wealthy Marge
falls in love with him, Philippe's death is accepted by both his
father and the police, and Tom has within his grasp all the things
he envied. His doom is sealed, however, when Marge decides to
sell Philippe's boat. As it is hauled out of the water into
dry-dock, the corpse is found hanging from the propeller. |
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