Alain Delon (Le Cercle Rouge, Le Samouraï) stars as Tom Ripley, an American who travels to Europe on an all-expenses-paid mission to convince his friend, the charismatic playboy Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet – Le Feu Follet), to travel to San Francisco at the request of the wealthy Greenleaf family. Initially, the pair enjoy the good life in Italy, often to the anger and dismay of Philippe’s much put-upon fiancée Marge (Marie Laforet). However, as Tom’s funds begin to run dry, it becomes more and more apparent that Philippe has no intention of returning to America, forcing Tom to consider more calculated means of maintaining his extravagant lifestyle.