France Honors Screen Legend Alain Delon

France on Monday paid homage to film legend Alain Delon following his death at 88, with tributes pouring in for the actor who became one of his country’s biggest stars, despite being shadowed by controversy.

Delon made it clear he did not want a national memorial event, preferring to be buried near his dogs on his property in Douchy, central France, where he passed away. He had already sought and received the agreement in principle from local authorities, as confirmed by official Christophe Hurault to AFP.

After bitter disputes over his medical treatment, his three children, Anthony, Anouchka, and Alain-Fabien, spoke in a unified voice when they announced their father’s death. However, they must now decide on the funeral arrangements, considering whether to limit it to close family or include the cinema world.

Delon dominated the front pages of France’s newspapers Monday, many featuring full-page portraits of the actor in his prime. “The Last Samurai,” wrote Le Figaro for its front-page headline, referencing his role in Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1967 thriller “Le Samourai”.

Delon’s performances in some of the most acclaimed films of the 1960s and 70s were widely praised, with his on-screen charisma being undeniable. He was one of the last living legends of a golden era for French cinema in the 1960s.

Fellow 60s star Brigitte Bardot, 89, said Delon “leaves a huge void that nothing, nobody, can fill”. Nathalie Baye, who worked with him on the film “Our Story”, described Delon as “not a fun guy” but “very endearing”.

French President Emmanuel Macron called him a “French monument” who “played legendary roles and made the world dream”. Delon’s death was covered extensively by newspapers worldwide, including the New York Times and the Washington Post, with the latter describing him as the “angel-faced tough guy of international cinema”. The Hollywood Reporter referred to him as the “seductive star of European cinema”.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described him as “mesmeric and beautiful” and “one of cinema’s most mysterious stars”. Germany’s Spiegel called him “Europe’s James Dean”, while Sueddeutsche Zeitung said his “aura of the handsome angel of death made him a legend”.

In Italy, where he spent much of his career, Il Corriere della Sera noted that “there will never be another actor like Delon, unique and immortal”. Victor Roussel, a 26-year-old moviegoer, expressed his admiration before a screening of Delon’s 1963 film “The Leopard” at a Paris cinema Sunday: “For me, he was a legend”.

In Japan, where he had a solid fanbase, many expressed their sorrow. Seventy-four-year-old Delon fan Seta commented, “My friends in their 70s and 80s are still all madly in love with him. Even at 88, he looked great”.

However, while he had legions of fans, his personal life and political opinions were contentious. Delon’s relationship with women was often controversial, with his sons accusing him of domestic violence; accusations Delon denied, although he admitted to slapping women during quarrels. Politically, Delon supported Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the far-right National Front, and his stance on various issues drew criticism.

In recent years, his later life was marred by controversy. In 2023, his children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behavior. They also engaged in a public battle over his health following a stroke in 2019.

Delon spent his final years in the small village of Douchy, living reclusively behind high walls. Fans paid tribute by placing flowers at the entrance of his home. Marie Arnold, accompanied by her sister Michele, expressed the sentiment of many: “In our minds, we believe that these icons are eternal… It’s a part of our youth that is gone”.

Source: AFP, Le Figaro, The Washington Post, The Hollywood Reporter, The Guardian, Spiegel, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Il Corriere della Sera