French film legend Alain Delon dies at 88

PARIS: French film legend Alain Delon has died aged 88, his children announced in a statement to AFP on Sunday (Aug 18), declaring him a controversial star who was seen by some as a sex symbol and by others as a conceited chauvinist.

The actor, known for roles in classic films such as “Purple Noon” (1960) and “The Samurai” (1967), died in the early hours of the morning, his son Anthony told AFP. He had lymphoma.

“It is with deep sadness that Alain Fabian, Anoushka, Anthony and (his dog) Lubo announce the passing of their father. He passed away peacefully at his home in Duhi, surrounded by his three children and family,” the statement said, following months of public spats between the star’s family over his failing health.

The star has millions of fans around the world who see him as a genius – but has also attracted a barrage of criticism, including from feminists who were shocked that the 2019 Cannes Film Festival awarded him a lifetime achievement award.

In his later years, he lived a largely reclusive life, and although he has rarely appeared on screen since the 1990s, his personal life has continued to make headlines.

In 2023, his three children filed a complaint against his live-in assistant, Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behavior.

The siblings continue to argue publicly in the media and in court over the star’s health, including a 2019 stroke.

He was the subject of controversy throughout his life over his relationships with women, and his son accused him of domestic violence, which Delon denied, but he did admit to slapping a woman who attacked him during an argument.

He had a series of rocky romances, but fell in love with German actress Romy Schneider in the 1960s, whom he once described as “the love of my life”.

German-born Velvet Underground singer Nico claimed he was the father of her son Christian Aaron Boulogne, but Delon denied this until Boulogne died of a heroin overdose in 2023.

Delon married Nathalie Delon in 1964, but their relationship was rocky and they divorced in 1969. Delon also had high-profile relationships with pop diva Dalida and model-turned-actress Mireille Darc.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Delon was a “monument to France” and “a legendary role that enchanted the world”.

Gifted

Delon was not a cerebral actor but was considered an instinctive talent, and he prided himself on never having practiced his technique but relying instead on his personal charisma.

Gilles Jacob, former president of the Cannes Film Festival, praised Delon as “a lion… an actor with a steely gaze”.

His looks were golden proportions for 1960s filmmakers, and he played the roles of pretty-boy killer and mysterious conspirator in Purple Noon — later remade as The Talented Mr. Ripley.

“Alain Delon, he’s not just any actor. He’s an object of desire,” actor Vincent Lindon said in a 2012 documentary.

His stunning performance as the silent killer in Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samurai (1967) set the template for one of Hollywood’s most popular tropes: the mysterious, rational killer.

Directors from Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino to Hong Kong’s John Woo have acknowledged that Delon gave his stylish killer an inner world, even though the French actor never achieved huge success in Hollywood.

Delon’s last public appearance on the red carpet was at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019, when he won the Palme d’Or.

“It’s kind of like a posthumous tribute to me, but for something I did while I was alive,” he said when accepting the award.

“I’m leaving, but I’m not leaving without thanking you,” added the man, who spent his final years at home in a small village in northeastern France surrounded by high walls, where he planned to bury his remains, not far from his dog.

‘Best and worst’

In 2015, Alan’s former partner Dak told AFP: “Alan chose a deep solitude, in another world, back in time, with the people he loved so much.”

Brigitte Bardot, the 1960s film star, described him on his 80th birthday: “The best and the worst, inaccessible and yet so close, cold and hot.”

Delon has also been criticized for his support for polarizing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front (later renamed the National Rally), who supports the death penalty and opposes homosexuality.

Delon, a self-proclaimed right-winger, was also ridiculed for his ego and habit of speaking about himself in the third person.

But adoring fans will recall his opening line in the film Samurai: “There is no solitude greater than that of a samurai, except that of a tiger in the jungle.”