Movie Meetup —The Talented Mr Ripley (Walter Murch Season)— Meet at 1, Film at 2

" ... the extreme perils of class envy and sexual panic ...."
★★★★★ Entertainment Weekly

We are going to see Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr Ripley—the last film in the Watershed Walter Murch season.

We'll meet in the Watershed cafe/bar from 1 pm, to say hello and chat. After the film we will stop for a while to talk about the film.

Buy your own ticket from the box office or online.

ABOUT THE FILM

"In 1958, the charming but penniless Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is hired by a wealthy magnate to travel to Italy and rescue his son, Dickie (Jude Law), from a life of indolence.
Upon arrival, Tom discovers that Dickie has it all - including a beautiful girlfriend, Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) - and begins to covet his luxurious lifestyle."
— Watershed summary

"The movie is an intelligent a thriller as you’ll see this year. It is also insidious in the way it leads us to identify with Tom Ripley. He is the protagonist, we see everything through his eyes, and Dickie is not especially lovable; that means we are a co-conspirator in situations where it seems inconceivable that Tom’s deception will not be discovered. He’s a monster, but we want him to get away with it."
★★★★★ Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (1999)

ABOUT WALTER MURCH

Walter Murch is a legendary figure in the world of cinema, though his name may not be as instantly recognisable as the directors and actors he has worked alongside. A pioneering film editor and sound designer, Murch has left an indelible mark on how movies are made—and how they are heard. His career spans over five decades, during which he has contributed to some of the most influential films in modern American cinema, including Apocalypse Now, The Godfather trilogy, and The English Patient, for which he won Academy Awards in both film editing and sound.

What sets Murch apart is not just the quality of his work but the intellectual depth he brings to it. He approaches editing not simply as a technical task, but as a form of storytelling that blends rhythm, emotion, and meaning. Known for his methodical yet intuitive process, Murch has also become something of a philosopher of film, articulating his ideas in essays and interviews that continue to influence filmmakers and editors alike.

Murch’s innovations include the concept of “sound montage,” which treats sound with the same expressive potential as image, and his early adoption of digital editing long before it became industry standard. Despite his many accolades, Murch has maintained a thoughtful, inquisitive stance toward his craft. He is as interested in the mechanics of storytelling as he is in its mystery.

Walter Murch will be visiting Watershed on Thu 15 May for an event around the release of his new memoir, and will be in conversation following a screening of Her Name Was Moviola.