The monochrome images of writer-director Steven Zaillian’s “Ripley” were curated by cinematographer Robert Elswit, drawing inspiration from 1960s Italian filmmakers Roberto Rossellini, Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni, as well as Italian painter Caravaggio. The desaturated aesthetic subliminally deepens the disturbing personality of the con artist played by Andrew Scott. “He's so neurotic,” says Elswit, who filmed all eight episodes of the series, of the Tom Ripley character. “It seemed like extreme contrast lighting was going to be the focus for me. All of the practical locations and beautiful sets that production designer David Gropman built lend themselves to that.” The texture and framing heighten the character's phobia, especially during the first episode, “A Hard Man to Find,” when Ripley boards a train in New York. As he leaves the station, he stares into the camera lens as if someone is watching before the camera pans back to the train car on the opposite side. Perspective is a glimpse into Ripley's mind. “It's a wonderful feeling when Tom is totally paranoid and thinks someone is following him and watching him. It was like a wonderful acceptance of that and a really creative idea about how to make it work,” Elswit says.
