In the second act of "The Talented Mr. Ripley," Dickie Greenleaf travels to Rome, leaving Tom Ripley behind in Mongibello, where he has been spending most of his time. Upon Dickie's return, he catches Tom in his bedroom, dancing and singing in front of a mirror while trying on Dickie's expensive clothing.
"What are you doing?" an incredulous Dickie asks Tom, who hides behind the mirror, apologizing and explaining that he was "just amusing [himself]." In an analysis for JumpCut Online, critic Fiona Underhill pointed out some of the scene's subtle details — starting with the sculpture in Dickie's room. "Tom hides behind a full-length mirror and Ripley's reflection, with a look of horror and disgust on his face, can be seen in it," Underhill wrote. "Next to the mirror is a sculpture of a classical torso (probably designed using the golden ratio) – another example of the perfection that Ripley cannot attain."
As further explained, mirrors and reflections play a large role in "The Talented Mr. Ripley"'s visual language. In this scene, Tom is hidden behind a mirror, save for his head. When Dickie appears in the mirror, the audience sees Tom's head above Dickie's body, reflecting on the life Tom has decided he wants to lead — by any means necessary.
