Alain Delon: France’s Charismatic but Controversial Screen Icon

Actor Alain Delon, who passed away Sunday at the age of 88, was regarded as France’s greatest screen seducer.

To some, he was the epitome of 20th-century male beauty, flawlessly portraying impeccably tailored, ice-cold killers popularized by 1960s New Wave cinema. Others, however, viewed him as an egotistical chauvinist. He referred to himself in the third person and had admitted to slapping a woman. His awarding of a lifetime achievement honor at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 was met with criticism by feminists.

Despite the controversies, Delon had millions of fans worldwide, from France to Japan, where he was celebrated as an icon of male beauty. His magnetic combination of a radiant face and a tinge of danger made him irresistible to many glamorous actresses.

On his 80th birthday, Brigitte Bardot, a fellow 1960s icon, described him as “an eagle with two heads… the best and the worst.”

Delon’s career took off in 1960 with roles in “Purple Noon,” later remade as “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and Luchino Visconti’s “The Leopard.”

He set the standard for the Hollywood trope of the mysterious, cerebral hitman with his captivating performance as a silent killer in Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Le Samurai” (1967). Influencers like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and John Woo have all acknowledged the influence of Delon’s stylish killer character on their work.

His personal life, marred by stormy relationships, also drew significant attention. His affair with German actress Romy Schneider, his co-star in “The Swimming Pool” (1969), ended tragically. Schneider, whom Delon called “the love of my life,” was found dead at 43, less than a year after her son’s untimely death. The official cause was cardiac arrest.

While involved with Schneider, Delon allegedly fathered a son with Velvet Underground singer Nico but denied parentage. Despite this, Delon’s mother raised the boy, Ari Boulogne, who closely resembled Delon and maintained he was his son until his death in 2023 from a heroin overdose.

“I was programmed for success, not happiness. The two don’t go together,” Delon commented, stating that he always defined himself through women. He drew motivation from the women in his life, including his first wife, Nathalie; Romy Schneider; longtime partner Mireille Darc; and Rosalie van Breemen, the mother of his children.

Nevertheless, two of his sons accused Delon of domestic violence, alleging he broke their mother’s nose and ribs. Delon denied these claims but admitted to slapping women who attacked him.

His childhood was complicated, marked by being temporarily placed in a children’s home by his mother. As a teenage soldier, he fought to keep Indochina French but was dishonorably discharged for theft.

Despite these mixed perceptions, film historian Jean-Michel Frodon remarked that no other French male actor in the last half-century had the same screen presence. French actor Vincent Lindon, Cannes’ best actor award winner in 2015, described Delon’s looks as “hypnotizing,” stating one could look at his photos “for hours.”

Delon’s career never fully transitioned to Hollywood, despite his enormous following in China and Japan. He eventually capitalized on this following with his perfume brand.

His private life remained a source of public fascination. He was arrested in 1968 after his former bodyguard, Stevan Markovic, was found dead. Markovic had allegedly had an affair with Delon’s wife, Nathalie. A Corsican gangster friend of Delon’s was charged but released after a year in prison, and the case was eventually dropped unsolved.

Although Delon effectively quit films around 2000, he occasionally appeared on television and returned to the big screen in 2008 to play Julius Caesar in an Asterix film.

His political views also stirred controversy. He supported the far-right National Front, later renamed the National Rally, and called its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a “dear friend.” In 2016, he defended ex-minister Nadine Morano’s divisive comments about France, stating, “She has the balls to say it.”

In June 2019, Delon suffered a debilitating stroke, leading him to rarely leave his estate in France’s central Loiret region. As his health deteriorated, his three children engaged in conflicts over his estate. Initially, they accused Delon’s Japanese companion and former carer, Hiromi Rollin, of exploitation, but the case was dismissed. In January 2024, Anthony accused Anouchka of taking advantage of their “weakened” father, prompting Delon to threaten police action against his son.

Source: particle news