![](https://img.peliplat.com/api/resize/v1?imagePath=peliplat/article/20240823/a1a7c45289fee982b4647ea491615d00.jpeg&source=s3-peliplat)
How should we remember Alain Delon? It is an intriguing question.
Following Delon's passing on August 18th, tributes from film enthusiasts have poured in. This is no surprise, considering Delon possessed one of cinema's most strikingly handsome faces. With this advantage at hand, he collaborated with some of the most outstanding directors of the 1960s and 1970s, producing iconic films: Luchino Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers and The Leopard, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samouraï and Le Cercle Rouge, Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Eclisse, and René Clément's Plein Soleil.
![](https://img.peliplat.com/api/resize/v1?imagePath=peliplat/article/20240823/4cfd53a89eebacc712b39b2483430184.jpeg&source=s3-peliplat)
However, Delon's acting career took a downturn after the 1970s. He worked with fewer prominent directors, and although he capitalized on his collaborations with Melville by establishing a production company and starring in numerous crime films, his performances became increasingly typecast, and his fading looks marked a decline in his career. During this period, Delon relied more on commercial ventures, particularly in the Asian market.
Negative news surrounding him also escalated. In 1968, he was embroiled in the Marković affair: his Yugoslavian bodyguard, Stefan Marković, was found murdered in the countryside outside of Paris. A letter from Marković later surfaced, stating, "If I get killed, it's 100% the fault of Alain Delon and his ‘godfather’ François Marcantoni." Delon's connections to the Mafia were exposed, and his vehement denial of any involvement only fueled suspicions. A year later, due to insufficient evidence, the court dropped the investigation, leaving the truth forever obscured.
Since the 1980s, Delon became increasingly aligned with France's right-wing political parties. In 1984, he publicly confirmed his close friendship with Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front, and criticized left-wing politicians like Jacques Chirac and Jack Lang, calling them "chickens" and "sissies." Yet, he accepted a national accolade from Lang. In 1988, he supported Raymond Barre's presidential campaign, and in 2007, he endorsed Nicolas Sarkozy. Even as late as 2013, he continued to express support and understanding for the National Front, though he denied ever voting for Marine Le Pen.
![](https://img.peliplat.com/api/resize/v1?imagePath=peliplat/article/20240823/1a84c80e4dd57c7ccfddd795bb972cbc.webp&source=s3-peliplat)
Delon's political stance even seeped into his professional work. In 1990, he agreed to star in Jean-Luc Godard's Nouvelle Vague but refused to be filmed in a Mercedes-Benz, deeming it unpatriotic. Godard ironically responded by suggesting he would sit a donkey in the car to complete the scene without Delon.
In 2013, Delon publicly opposed same-sex marriage, causing an uproar across Europe. This was particularly controversial given that two of Delon's mentors, Luchino Visconti and Jean-Claude Brialy, were openly gay, and his breakout film Plein Soleil—an adaptation of a novel by American lesbian author Patricia Highsmith—was also steeped in homosexual subtext.
![](https://img.peliplat.com/api/resize/v1?imagePath=peliplat/article/20240823/aadbafd7db1138112a459354880470c8.jpeg&source=s3-peliplat)
Additionally, Delon faced accusations of domestic violence from his two sons. His estranged son, Alain-Fabien Delon, publicly accused his father of repeatedly beating his mother, Rosalie van Breemen, breaking eight of her ribs and her nose twice. He also claimed that his father once locked him in a cage with a dog, supposedly to "toughen him up."
Delon dismissed these allegations as defamation from a son with whom he had a strained relationship, though he admitted to having slapped women. In a 2018 interview, he acknowledged being a chauvinist but emphasized that he, too, had been a victim of women's slappings.
Delon's later years were marked by familial disputes. The battle over his estate among his children could easily be adapted into a long-running TV series. Perhaps as a precaution against his children, Delon illegally stockpiled 72 firearms and over 3,000 rounds of ammunition in his home. In 2014, the police raided his residence, confiscating the entire arsenal.
Even after Delon's death, controversy continues to swirl. According to reports, his will stipulated that his healthy pet dog, a Belgian Malinois named Loubo, should be euthanized so that it could be buried alongside him. In 2018, Delon explained, "Loubo is the last dog I will ever own. I love him as much as I love my children. I've had 50 dogs in my life, but my bond with Loubo is special. If I die, he will miss me terribly. I'd rather have him die in my arms than suffer through my funeral."
![](https://img.peliplat.com/api/resize/v1?imagePath=peliplat/article/20240823/39366b6e6dfe94d2e4ad27b9cff6f238.jpeg&source=s3-peliplat)
However, following a public outcry from animal rights activists, Delon's family decided to let Loubo live, with Delon's daughter Anouchka confirming that the family would care for the dog.
These controversies form a significant part of Delon's life story, but they do not define his legacy entirely. His collaborator Melville considered him a "man with honor," and his relationship with former girlfriend Romy Schneider is remembered as a romantic saga. Even after they parted ways, Delon continued to support Romy's career.
![](https://img.peliplat.com/api/resize/v1?imagePath=peliplat/article/20240823/b95bbaac0f414edd6d09342c652778cd.jpeg&source=s3-peliplat)
But Delon was also a far-right political advocate, a vocal opponent of homosexuality, a suspected domestic abuser, and at one point, a murder suspect. His handsome face will remain etched in history, and the controversies surrounding him will also continue to linger in our memories.
My recollection of Delon's work has always been tinged by these controversies. To me, his roles, even those expressing vulnerability, lacked sincerity—there was always a sense that it was a calculated act, a facade meant to manipulate others. Beneath his skin seemed to lurk a sociopath, a manipulator, a man with hidden ambitions. This is why films like Plein Soleil and Le Samouraï in which Delon played sociopaths resonate so convincingly with their narratives.
![](https://img.peliplat.com/api/resize/v1?imagePath=peliplat/article/20240823/24750e23324053ed238b423aaed001b7.jpeg&source=s3-peliplat)
Delon undoubtedly possessed beauty and perhaps a feigned fragility. But beneath his exterior, there seemed to be some cold venom running. We can't be certain if there was a soul within his body. This is likely why Delon remains a polarizing figure: he seemed never to fully grasp what he truly wanted. This ambiguity is also what makes Delon such a fascinating actor. Beneath his beautiful exterior, does he harbor a mystery, or is there simply an emptiness? The space he occupied will forever be intriguing.
Share your thoughts!
Be the first to start the conversation.