Casting
The Guardian reported that Leonardo DiCaprio declined the role, which went to Damon.[3] Minghella cast Matt Damon, after seeing his performance in Good Will Hunting, because he felt the actor had the right mix of "credibility, warmth, and generosity" to engage the audience and help them understand how Ripley "thinks and operates".[4] The character of Meredith Logue, not present in the novel, was added by Minghella, with Cate Blanchett in mind. He was "entranced" with Blanchett, after meeting with her and surprised that she was actually interested in playing the small part. Minghella went on to write more scenes for the character, to expand her role.[4]
Minghella happened to see the dailies from a film his wife, Carolyn Choa, was producing at the time, which Law starred in: The Wisdom of Crocodiles. Minghella was impressed with Law's performance and offered him the role of Dickie; in his "insane arrogance", as Law put it, he initially refused, because he did not wish to play a "pretty boy". After learning of the cast Minghella was assembling and coming to understand that he would be "in safe hands" with the director, Law later accepted the part.[5]
Filming
Apart from the beginning scenes filmed in New York City, the film was shot entirely on location in Italy. The cliffside resort town of Positano and various villages on the islands of Ischia and Procida, near Naples, were used to represent the fictional town of Mongibello.[6] Frequent and unpredictable rain hampered the production, with Minghella stating that "we had to deliver this gorgeous Mediterranean world, this beautiful world of Southern Italy, and we could never get Italy to turn beautiful...We would divide the scenes up, often into words, and go out and get two or three words and then, it would start to rain, and we'd have to go back in, again."[4] The scenes taking place in San Remo were actually filmed in Anzio, a resort town near Rome. Well-known locations included the Piazza Navona, the Spanish Steps and Piazza di Spagna in Rome, and the Caffè Florian in the Piazza San Marco in Venice.[6]
To prepare for the role of Ripley, Damon lost 30 pounds and learned to play the piano.[7] Law gained weight and learned to play the saxophone for his character; he also broke a rib, when he fell backward, while filming the murder scene on the boat.[8]
