August 18, 2024

"He was often criticized for rampant egotism but seemed able to see fame for the complicated illusion that it was."

That's the best line in this obituary: "Alain Delon, Smoldering French Film Star, Dies at 88/The César-winning actor was an international favorite in the 1960s and ’70s, often sought after by the era’s great auteurs" (NYT).

There's also this:
Mr. Delon had denied paternity of a third son, Christian Aaron Päffgen — later known as Ari Boulogne — from a brief relationship with the pop star Nico. But Mr. Delon’s mother raised the boy as her grandson, giving him her surname from a remarriage. He died in 2023.

Alain Delon was in a lot of movies, but I don't think I've seen any of them... not even "Rocco and His Brothers" or "Is Paris Burning?" or "Le Samouraï." The Criterion Channel has quite a few of his movies streaming now.

Here's the Criterion teaser, which displays the extreme male beauty he had to offer:

24 comments:

Narr said...

I saw "Is Paris Burning?" It was pretty good for a big budget war movie with star cameos.

Aggie said...

Not a single image of him later than his 20's? A beautiful young man, but he morphed rather quickly into puffy-eyed middle and older age, looking through the images. I don't recall ever seeing him, but I don't watch many French films, either. But it would seem his most important cinematic contributions were made early.

BtheNorth said...

Purple Noon is great if you like the Ripley movies and the Netflix series. Comparing Delon’s, Damon’s, and Scott’s interpretation of Highsmith’s Tom Ripley is quite enjoyable.

Kakistocracy said...

I am glad it was mentioned that he didn't recognize Ari Boulogne (one of his children with German singer Nico) who was eventually adopted by Delon's own mother, and was Alain's xerox copy. Ari died in poverty. I don't judge Delon who surely had his reasons to do what he did, still, it's a sad note to an incredible life.

Delon was at his best in those parts of emotionally or morally ambiguous characters, like in the Antonioni film (was that L'Eclipse?), Plein soleil, L'homme pressé. I tried hard to remember if I ever saw him in a comedic part, but I don't think I ever have. It would have been great to see him deploying his charms in a film with a lighter tone, but clearly he was typecast, forever playing Alain Delon.

rehajm said...

Qui? Tant pis…

Gerda Sprinchorn said...

He has a distinct Clint Eastwood vibe.

RCOCEAN II said...

Good DeLeon Movies: The Leopard (best version is when Lancaster is dubbed), the Red Circle (goes on too long though), Le Samouraï (somewhat silly, but still good).

Wost Deleon movie: Texas Across the River (Joey Bishop as an Indian)

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

It's because of super good-looking guys like Alain Delon that nobody wants to purchase my sperm.

RCOCEAN II said...


L'Eclisse, which I'd forgotten, is also good but 15 minutes too long. Purple Noon was a good 1st try that "the talented Mr. Ripley" did much better.

friscoda said...

haven't you seen the Leopard (Il Gattopardo)?

Old and slow said...

His sense of style as analyzed by Derek Guy on X. Apparently, his clothes were well fitted. https://x.com/dieworkwear/status/1825106421215789449

PigHelmet said...

John Malkovich is no Alain Delon, but he made a good Tom Ripley in 2002’s RIPLEY’S GAME.

friscoda said...

also he was the original Tom Ripley in the first (I believe) movie based on Highsmith's Ripley books

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Purple Noon is a great movie, visually gorgeous Technicolor, suspenseful, clever and surprising. The Criterion Collection also featured the best English-dubbed version of any foreign film I've ever seen, if you're not into subtitles.

boatbuilder said...

Joey Bishop as an Indian? Now that's funny. WTH?

Wilbur said...

My wife, a Brazilian until age 38. developed a movie star crush on Alain Delon in her teens. It never completely went away.
She will be saddened when I tell her of his death.

Yancey Ward said...

How did he end up in Airport 79?

Whiskeybum said...

Is Paris Burning is a great start-studded WWII film with German, French and English/American actors who all speak in their native tongues in the movie with subtitles. It also has a fabulous theme song.

Jaq said...

I can never guess which men women will find "beautiful."

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Blockbuster summer movie with an all-star international cast! Plus, The Concorde, nest pah?

narciso said...

luck of the draw I guess, it wasn't terrible,

grimson said...

I suspect Tom Cruise has spent his entire career trying and failing to match the cool of Alain Delon. Cruise in "Collateral" is supposed to be modeled after Delon in "Le Samourai."

For me, Delon's best performance is in "Mr. Klein," a film I have come to like quite a bit. It focuses on who are we, really, and was directed by Joseph Loesy, a director blacklisted in the US.

It's set in Paris during WWII when the French police are preparing to round up any suspected Jews to load them on the trains to Germany. Delon is Robert Klein, an art dealer exploiting fleeing Jews, who becomes a suspected Jew himself when confused with another Robert Klein. This is probably intentional by the other Robert Klein, but it is never explained.

It's currently available on the Criterion Channel, as is a French documentary on the Vel d'Hiv roundup. Both are recommended.

PM said...

His name was fun to say...a cinephile thing.

William said...

He was the best Ripley of his generation. All three versions were excellent. There's something about the plot or the character that transfers well to the screen. I've seen a couple of his movies, but the Ripley one is the only one that stands out. He really inhabited the Ripley character.....It probably wasn't that much of a stretch. There were quite a lot of scandals in his life. I don't think the obit gave full credit to all of them. He hung out with gangsters. Despite outward appearances, he definitely wasn't a pretty boy..