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In the movie The Talented Mr.Ripley, is Dickie gay?

They show Tom to be attracted to male folk more than the women in the movie. They also show Tom sexually interested in Dickie. Dickie seems to be leading Tom on in that scene where they play chess in the bathtub. Dickie otherwise seems to be committed to Marge and plans on marrying her. There is no real gain for Dickie to be leading Tom on.

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    What makes you think he is? There was nothing to suggest that. It is only Tom's obsession with him that borders homosexuality (and is later much clearer in his relationship with Peter), one that Dickie certainly doesn't share. (As a side note, as much as I know Tom's homosexuality was also far less explicit, if even existent, in the source novel, or the Alain Delon version from the 60s for that matter.)
    – Napoleon Wilson
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:27
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    wouldn't a straight guy avoid sitting in the nude in a tub playing chess with another guy in a bathroom? It's just that one scene that made me wonder what it was about.
    – John
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:39
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    Well, depends mostly on your levels of security around friends and fellow men, as well as cultural upbringing (but granted, he's originally an American, though lately detached from his prude heritage). But I don't remember the scene right now anyway. Interesting question nevertheless.
    – Napoleon Wilson
    Commented Jun 12, 2015 at 14:43
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    @Tivep: Not being shy about being nude in the presence of same-sex others and being homo- (or bi-) sexual are very different things. Think nudists.
    – DevSolar
    Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 16:12

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Dickie is a narcissist, he likes the attention even though he would never have romantic feelings for Tom. Dickie leads Tom along to feed his own ego. Marge says it best "The thing with Dickie... it's like the sun shines on you, and it's glorious. And then he forgets you and it's very, very cold."

Nudity is sexualized in America more than anywhere else. Being naked alone doesn't indicate sexual interest unless you would say every man who's ever been naked in front of another man in a locker room is expressing sexual desire.

Dickie's true feelings are more clearly expressed when he catches Tom dancing around in his clothes. He's clearly uncomfortable and asks Tom to change out of them in the other room.

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In the tub scene, when Tom wants to get in Dickie almost throws up in his mouth and sternly says no. Only after recognizing that Dickie wasn't down for the get down does Tom then say "I didn't mean with you in it." Dickie then relaxes and gets out, however he swats his towel at Tom as a way to break the tension I think by letting Tom know everything was still okay, like no biggie bro.

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  • I'd love to hear from the producer on this but I saw this scene totally different. He doesn't throw up in his mouth, not even close. The look he gives is flirty and the no comes much later than it should've. Also, it sounds like a yes. Like, he was expecting Tom to ask again. Then, after Tom says he didn't mean with him in it, his face expression changes, like he just got rejected and he then gets out of the tub. And the towel thing, he definitely knew Tom was looking and the towel thing was also flirty. I'm not sure he's gay but there was definitely something in that scene. This wasn't 2 frie
    – lalachka
    Commented Oct 9, 2022 at 21:41
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The real question is: is Dickie aware of Tom's homoerotic lust? As a gay man, I found the whole premise of Tom, the non-rich outsider, a metaphor for being a gay man in the 50s...the ultimate outsider desperate to belong.

Because we live in an essentially homophobic (albeit improving) culture...we even have this question regarding Dickie's sexuality. A real life Dickie would likely be sexually adventurous and have numerous sexual partners of all genders...he would fight a "label" and in the late 50s especially the gay culture was into plenty of gender role playing...so neither Tom nor Dickie are necessarily "gay" - Tom's appetite for Dickie's life that it includes a desire to consume him sexually or otherwise...

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In that scene, Tom asks to get in the tub and Dickie gets weirded out and gets out of the tub so I do not think Dickie was gay or had any feelings of that sort towards Tom.

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    Can you elaborate further?
    – MattD
    Commented Jul 12, 2015 at 2:33
  • He wasn't weirded out. Lol, look at his face expression, how long it took him to say no, the way he said the no and his reaction when Tom said that he didn't mean with him in it. His face expression changed instantly, like he got rejected. And I'm not saying he's gay, nothing else in the movie pointed to it but that scene was definitely not 2 friends playing chess in the bathroom. Sexually charged for sure. Words, looks, etc
    – lalachka
    Commented Oct 9, 2022 at 21:47
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I didn't really think Tom was actually gay in the movie. I never saw Dickie as gay. Even Freddie had many hand gestures and things he said that kind of made him look on the 'gay side'...yet I think this was meant to be an upper-class, high society-type thing. Freddie mentioned being into 'the women' a couple of times. I think Tom was obsessed and wanted to be Dickie. I know he was checking him out naked in the tub scene--but I always saw this as admiration and envy more than anything actually sexual. He wanted to be beautiful and tan, like Dickie. I didn't see that he was in love with Peter, either. I thought he used him as a sad replacement for Dickie (who was dead by then) and perhaps also as a free ride, money-wise. I know he used Dickie's ID and got money out of the bank, but how long would that have really lasted? He couldn't continue to do that after he saw an investigation forming, so surely the money ran out.

I sort of thought Tom was 'appeasing' Peter so he could continue to tag along, being that Peter made it very clear that he was gay. I think he liked him very much as a friend and really craved feeling loved and admired by someone. Peter filled this need for him. He wanted to be adored and admired like Dickie was by so many.

I definitely never thought Dickie was gay. I thought he was a narcissist who loved any attention. He led Tom on a little because he really loved and craved being admired and doted on... by anyone.

I guess I never saw any real sexuality in Tom. I saw a calculating sociopath who wanted to be loved, to have 'the good life' and to be accepted by this upper-class group of people as an equal. I think Tom would have 'been' with anyone (male or female) to stay part of this group and continue to live this life. This is just my take on it, though.

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    I find this unconvincing unfortunately. Peter appears to be the only person that Tom is comfortable being somewhat himself and develops anything like a romantic relationship with. He appears genuinely devastated that he needs to kill Peter to maintain his secret. His relationship with Meredith appears very staged - he could probably have used her as a vehicle to disappear from Italy if he had been genuinely attracted to her. He chose Peter, who doesn't seem to be in the same class of money - while not poor he is a choir director and musician - not a socialite.
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Commented Dec 17, 2021 at 19:14
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    I think you are correct that his sexuality isn't at the forefront of the drivers of the character, I find it fairly convincing from his relationship with Dicky and Peter that he is somewhat attracted to men.
    – iandotkelly ♦
    Commented Dec 17, 2021 at 19:21

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