Black and White Visuals in ‘Ripley,’ ‘Feud’ and ‘Sugar’ Create ‘Otherworldly’ Settings Perfect for Gritty Murders and Glitzy Balls
By Hunter Ingram
In Netflix’s “Ripley,” characters repeatedly call attention to the colors of the world around them. The blue hue of a painting; the purple paisley pattern of a robe. These vibrant details that might be passing remarks in any other show ring like a bell in “Ripley” simply because the show is shot entirely in black and white.
Speaking these colors out loud intentionally acknowledges what’s missing from the frame: both the visual vibrancy and the moral character of its main character, author Patricia Highsmith’s legendary conman Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott). Black and white serves this narrative purpose well as Tom’s desire for the life of rich playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) becomes more twisted and violent — and that’s exactly what writer/director Steven Zaillian...
