Aligning with Sociopaths: Character Engagement Strategies in Highsmith’s and Minghella’s Talented Mr. Ripleys

Patricia Highsmith’s stated reason for writing The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955) was to see if she could elicit empathetic engagement her immoral protagonist Tom Ripley. Amongst other factors, achieves goal by allowing readers align affectively with the protagonist’s road self-discovery. Her experiment culminates Tom’s fruition into an aggressive consumer, thus resolving his and readers’ apprehensions. On hand, Anthony Minghella’s leaves more room interpretation. In interviews, filmmaker states that he does not aim remain sociopath from novel. Instead, story explores absence of a father figure how it affects main characters. Consequently, frames as underprivileged youth whose emotional instability brings about demise. To this end, employs victimization scenes, well moral disengagement cues. I argue that, amongst such application industry-tested design emphatic concern elicitation obscures filmmaker’s initial intent. As result, can be seen manipulative sociopath, victimized tragic hero.