Where exactly were those Italian backdrops?
The Big Picture
- Tom Ripley leads a complex life of deceit, fraud, and murder for a wealthy man in New York City in the 1960s.
- Filmed in locations in New York and Italy, the series captures Tom’s transition from a con artist to a wealthy socialite.
- The black and white visuals in Italy highlight the country’s elaborate architecture and scenic beauty, enticing viewers to travel.
Andrew Scott‘s Tom Ripley has a single task to accomplish. From the moment the grifter pops onto the screen, it’s no news that he isn’t a trustworthy man. Yet, a New York socialite selects him to fly to Italy on a mission to retrieve his son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn). As viewers can probably guess, Ripley—the Netflix thriller series based on Patricia Highsmith‘s renowned novel—focuses on how the protagonist goes to Italy with everything paid for and decides to stay there for good, even if he has to resort to extreme lengths to do so. Although the main character’s actions are chillingly vile, there is one thing that fans of the show can all agree with: Italy is a dreamy destination, and staying in a palazzo can make it hard to pack up a suitcase and head home.
Ripley
A grifter named Ripley living in New York during the 1960s is hired by a wealthy man to begin a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder.
- Cast
- Andrew Scott , Johnny Flynn , Dakota Fanning , Pasquale Esposito
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Seasons
- 1
Aside From Italy, Where Else Was ‘Ripley’ Filmed?
The series’ plot begins in New York, where Tom lives and ends up meeting with Dickie’s father. Despite the hardships that come with fishing out places in the big city where a period piece can take place, production designer, David Gropman, shared with Condé Nast Traveler that Tom’s modest apartment at the start of the series was located on Madison Street in Chinatown, near the Manhattan Bridge. The main character fears being caught in the act, especially considering that he is getting rid of a corpse minutes into the pilot, which often leads him to be hyper aware of his surroundings. This obscure feeling matches perfectly with Mechanic Alley and the Navy Yard, the places that the protagonist walks by in his daily routine prior to being hired by Dickie’s affluent family.
Although the series is mostly filmed in several Italian cities, Gropman mentioned that more than 200 locations were featured in the show. The decision to film on location for most of the series adds to Tom’s story arc, displaying visuals that match his transition from a poor con artist to a wealthy one amid the schemes and murders that he enacts. His living situation in New York is a heavy contrast to the luxurious lifestyle he indulges in once he arrives in Italy and befriends Dickie and his love interest, Marge (Dakota Fanning).
‘Ripley’ Captures Italian Glamour Even in Black and White
Tom’s Italian venture begins in Capri, Italy, where Villa Torricella (Dickie’s villa in the series) is located. Both the exterior and interior shots were set here, where the wealthy, aspiring artist stays. The property does have a view of the sea, much like what is depicted in the show. The exterior of Marge’s house, Piazzetta Umberto, as well as the post office, were all shot in the city of Atrani. Despite everything being filmed in black and white, the backdrops are still gorgeous and captivating onscreen, emphasizing the European country’s elaborate architecture and scenic sights. Dickie and Tom travel to San Remo for a boat ride, which was filmed in Anzio, a place just outside of Rome, and its fishing port has historical significance, as it was an important spot during World War II.
For someone who started off in just a tiny apartment complex with little to no clothing and furniture, Tom’s lifestyle changes dramatically when he literally and figuratively takes on Dickie’s shoes. There were multiple shooting locations in Rome, from Palazzo Ruspoli (the place where Freddie’s suite was set) to Hassler Roma (used as the exterior of Hotel Excelsior), as well as several other places that are shown within the series. Despite those real-world locations, the interior of Tom’s apartment in Rome was actually built on soundstages at Cinecittà Studios, a departure from the series’ dedication to shooting almost exclusively on location.
‘Ripley’ Season 2 Could Happen, But There’s a Catch
There’s just one caveat to those Season 2 plans.
Towards the end of the Netflix original, the protagonist lands in Venice, and the palazzo that he stays at is indeed real, despite appearing far too majestic to possibly exist. Gropman told Condé Nast that after working with Heath Ledger in Casanova, he became well acquainted with Palazzo Contarini Polignac, which ended up being Tom’s palazzo in the series.
The Amalfi Coast Was a Popular Destination Even Before the Release of ‘Ripley’
After the show’s streaming release, Atrani locals began to have a feeling that the photogenic scenes shot there would likely bring exposure to this already-popular tourist destination. Despite Ripley‘s calm depiction of Atrani with barely any vehicles on the street, the reality is far different; the village is usually filled with traffic, and a few business owners in the region told The Guardian that they hope that the surge in visitors after seeing the show is managed properly.
Since Ripley landed on Netflix, Airbnb has seen a growth of 93 percent in bookings in the Atrani region, a major indicator that the series is not only riveting in terms of its plot, but also for travelers in search of their next getaway. With the U.S. summer right around the corner, Tom’s journey through Italy has viewers hoping to get at least a little glimpse of this European hot spot (without the need to con their way there).
Ripley is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com