The Death of the Samourai, Alain Delon

My first contact with the incredibly handsome French cult actor Alain Delon was, of all things, an Italian film –Rocco and his brothers from 1960, directed by the great Luchino Visconti. Suffering from terrible insomnia, I turned on the Criterion Channel to look for something I knew but hadn't seen. As a boxing fan and Visconti fan Rocco and his brothers immediately caught my eye. To my surprise (and I shouldn't have been surprised) the film did have a significant boxing element, Rocco and his brothers The title gives away its true nature. This is a film about tragedy. About a poor family from rural Milan trying to change their fate. Rocco and his brothers is an extraordinary film, and it relies to a large extent on the character of Rocco, played by Alain Delon, who had no problems proving his skills.

Delon doubled his success with Purple Noonthe first film based on the novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley”. The source material has been adapted many times since then. Wim Wenders is best known for The American friendAnthony Mighella in The talented Mr. Ripleyand this year’s Ripley as a miniseries on Netflix starring Andrew Scott. All three versions are worth watching, but Delain was quicker, and while his source material may have toned down certain aspects of Ripley's character, Delon is still wonderful in the film. Purple Noon was a huge success abroad and at that point Delon was on the road to success.

I am torn about my favorite Delon film, but Michelangelo Antonioni’s The Little Palace from 1962 is always talked about. The adventure, And The NightAntonioni's The Little Palace is the last film in a trilogy about the inability of people, even lovers, to connect. While most understandably The adventureit has always been The Little Palace that enchanted me with its aura of mystery. Beautifully shot in black and white, the film largely revolves around whether two aspiring lovers (played by the brilliant Monica Vitti and Delon) can commit to each other. For much of the film, nothing seems to happen. Antonioni risks being boring while getting under your skin the whole time. The last 15 minutes feel like an erotic thriller where no one takes their clothes off and the only risk is the damage that can be done to two hearts. This finale left me shaken and unsettled. The interplay between Vitti and Delon is a masterpiece in the question of “will they make it or not”. The ending is devastating. Despite the spiritual connections to the other films in Antonioni's trilogy, it is The Little Palace that sticks to my bones.

Delon's winning streak continued when he worked again with Visconti on his 19th-century historical epic. The Leopard starring Delon, Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale. Visconti's vision of a slowly fading empire was brilliant to watch, and Delon's princely walk down a dark alley at the end of the film speaks of the death of a way of life. Unfortunately, the film was badly dubbed and heavily cut for American audiences, and it was a dismal failure on this side of the Atlantic. Rarely has a great film been so badly botched as The Leopard for an American audience (although Sergio Leone’s Once upon a time in Americaand Michael Cimino Heaven's Gate come to mind). Luckily, because until the cockroaches get the upper hand, film is forever, and The Leopard has since been restored to the classic status it was originally given and which it always deserved.

Probably the coolest entry in Delon's resume is Jean-Pierre Melville's 1968 neo-noir film. The Samuraia strict film with very little dialogue, but an incredibly high-quality atmosphere. While many are on Godard's Breathless as the pinnacle of French “Nouvelle Veille” cinema, and I understand why, Godard’s Breathless first came out in 1960 and set a high standard. But Melville's blend of pulp and style is not only narratively stronger, it's simply more engaging. Much of that engagingness is due to Delon's calm but oh-so-cool demeanor. The way he runs his killer fingers over his fedora alone speaks volumes about the nature of his character. The Samurai is also considered a classic and is on the shortlist of great films by French filmmakers.

The next year, Delon landed another international hit with The girl on the motorcycle starring singer and Mick Jagger muse Marianne Faithfull. Although the film did well at the box office, it was not as well received by critics. Nevertheless, Delon's star power made a splash, despite the poor reviews and the infamous distinction of being one of the first X-rated films.

Much better was 1969 The swimming poolwhich was later described by Francois Ozon as Swimming pool and later Luca Guadagnino as A bigger splash (with Ralph Fiennes and Tilda Swinton). Similar to Delon's previous films, The swimming pool (directed by Jacques Deray) has more atmosphere than plot. A group of four people go on holiday in Saint Tropez and deep-seated jealousies come to the surface, with tragic consequences. Alongside Jane Birkin was Delon's ex-lover Romy Schneider (who died of a heart attack aged just 44), a highly acclaimed French-German actress whom Delon wanted to cast in the film in order to win her back. It's hard to say how much of the tension carried over from off-screen to on-screen, but one suspects the impact was not small.

Perhaps Delon’s last classic The Red Circlea heist thriller with almost no dialogue, filmed by Delons The Samurai Director Jean-Pierre Melville. The film is about a recently released prisoner who receives a tip-off about a possible jewel robbery. During the crime, enormous tension builds up and the film's grim finale is unforgettable.

Much of Delon's career after 1970 is full of ups and downs. Although he was nominated for a César (the French version of the Oscar) for Mr Klein in 1977, Death of a corrupt man in 1978, and he won for Our story in 1985. Despite these honors, none of the films Delon made after his decade-long peak from 1960 to 1970 stood out as much as this remarkable, if somewhat brief, era of fame. Delon's status as an icon was cemented during this period, and his rakish looks stayed with him well into his 80s. His embrace of right-wing politics in his home country made him persona non grata for many, but there's no denying his work. Especially during this great decade when Delon was the most beautiful actor in the world and had what it takes to back it up. That's a damn good double whammy.

Alain Delon died on August 18, 2024. He was 88 years old.