MovieChat Forums > The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) Discussion > Dickie's rings

Dickie's rings

posted 9 years ago by Tickerage
17 replies | jump to latest

I had another thread on this board about why Tom killed Peter and there were some great replies. But now late 2014 is the cutoff for threads (this board is happenin'!) Anyway, there's other threads now that succinctly deal with that issue, so I'll bring up the other major question I now have.

Why DOES Tom have Dickie's rings. Obviously it's because Tom loved Dickie and admired the rings; but he never really makes any explanation to Marge other than that Dickie is a liar. When Mr. Greanleaf says, "because there's only one explanation to be drawn," both Tom and the audience take that to mean that Tom has been found out and is about to be exposed. But, since that doesn't happen, what exactly do Mr. Greanleaf and the detective think that explanation is exactly? Clearly from that point on, Marge knows Tom did it.

At least there will be plenty implied.

[–] Quicksilver1900 9 years ago

I think they believe that Dickie's suicide note is legitimate and he gave the rings to Tom.

[–] BrandiStarBright 9 years ago

Well like any sociopath, he kept souvenirs.

[–] EJverh 9 years ago

Very good.

[–] andrewz1986 9 years ago

Tom uses Dickie's rings to impersonate Dickie in a more convincing way, resulting in more reliable alibi.

[–] Goku89 9 years ago

I think Mr Greanleaf thought that his son had feelings for Tom, and that he'd had enough so he left his rings to Tom.

[–] mference123 9 years ago

This was my understanding when it became obvious that Mr Greenleef was not going to accuse Tom of murder. He thought his son was bi/gay and would do anything to cover it up.

I think that's why he dismisses Marge's accusations as well. He thinks if she is so blind that she did not realize that Dickie was gay, she didn't understand their relationship at all. And he wants desperately to keep it that way.

Mr.Greenleaf may not even care whether or not Tom did kill Dickie. Just as long as he world does not realize that his son had sex with another man.

I understand. Thank you for telling me. -The masked bandit

[–] bigbadwolf666 (4707) 3 years ago

Completely agree here.

[–] Quicksilver1900 9 years ago

I disagree. There was nothing to suggest that Dickie was gay. Herbert G knew about Dickie and Sylvana, he knew Dickie was involved with Marge. There is nothing to suggest that he knew Tom was gay, either. It was the 50s. Gay people lived in the closet.

"I am always happy to engage in POLITE discourse."

[–] davebuffalo (3009) 4 years ago

Dickie WAS NOT gay, but that's the story that Tom is trying to paint with the suicide note, and it worked.

[–] bigbadwolf666 (4707) 3 years ago

You cant say for certain. He liked jazz, hanged with Freddie Miles, allowed Tom to get close to him, and waved off Marge. Could’ve been or couldn’t been but there is enough hints that there’s a possibility and his dad with his deep investigations might’ve found out something. If not just suspected but just the thought of it might’ve put him off.

[–] DaveBowman2001 (467) 3 years ago

Jazz is gay music? That's new to me. Freddie...not sure if he was or not. He also had an affair with that Italian woman and he loved Marge. I don't think Dickie was gay.

[–] doubl3 9 years ago

I don't have any dickie rings.

[–] jaseace 8 years ago

That scene was so powerful and well done. Tom had dicky's rings to better impersonate him..he quickly takes it off when seeing Marge at the opera. When Marge confronts tom he really has no excuse but that dicky was a liar and cheater, which he was..but Marge knew when she found those rings it was tom who kills dicky. The detective and dicky's father mention that dicky nearly killed someone at Princeton in an altercation of some kind, referencing that was one of the reasons dicky was abroad. They find out he's had an affair and the Italian girl was pregnant. So as far as they are concerned it's not so absurd that tom had his rings. To them, tom was a loyal friend to the greenleefs. The father really believes it wasn't tom, and that in fact dicky actually kills freddy. It's not so far fetched. But Marge had a more intimate knowledge of the situation and tom does a brilliant job of making her doubt herself, making her overwhelmed in several different ways. Dicky's father at the end tells Marge "it wasn't tom Marge! Really.." to them she's just gone *beep* crazy with grief and has all these theories.

[–] joyinacceptance 7 years ago

I do kind of think that he meant Tom and Dickie must have been sexually involved when he said that there was only one conclusion to be drawn from Tom having the rings. I think his attitude towards Tom became colder after that too.

[–] Quicksilver1900 7 years ago

Upon reflection, I think this could be true. Not much was known about gay life by the straight world in the 1950s, so people could imagine whatever they wanted. Herbert Greenleaf may have thought his son was so depraved that he was capable of anything including affairs with men.

I did not notice him being colder to Tom after this, but will take note when I re-watch.

[–] gcarras (2727) 7 years ago

Now in 2017, with THIS board "happenin'", as you say, Tom wanted to BE Dickie, after all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[–] degray9 (1126) 2 years ago

Tom fell in love and was infatuated with Dickie so much that he wanted to become him. He kept the rings as a way of creating his Dickie persona.