Few European male actors have been as iconic and influential for generations of filmgoers as Alain Delon. Emblematic of a modern, European masculinity, Delon's appeal spanned cultures and continents. From his breakthrough as the first on-screen Tom Ripley in Purple Noon in 1960, through two legendary performances in Rocco and His Brothers and The Leopard in the early 1960s, to his roles in some of Jean-Pierre Melville's most celebrated films noirs, Delon came to embody the flair and stylishness of the European thriller as one of France's most recognizable film stars.
This collection examines the star's career, image and persona. Not only focusing on his spectacular early performances, the book also considers less well documented aspects of Delon's long career such as his time in Hollywood, his work as director, producer and screenwriter, his musical collaborations, his TV appearances, and his enduring role as a fashion icon in the 21st century. Whether the object of reverence or ridicule, of desire or disdain, Delon remains a unique figure who continues to court controversy and fascination more than five decades after he first achieved international fame.
At last, the best-looking, most charismatic French actor of the post-war period gets the sustained attention he deserves. In Alain Delon, Style, Stardom and Masculinity, Nick Rees-Roberts and Darren Waldron have gathered a splendid collection of texts that illuminate the star in his multifarious dimensions: his roles and career choices, performance, looks, voice, fashion sense and sexual attractiveness. Drawing on insights from a range of international scholars, the book also importantly examines and celebrates his presence not just in famous classics such as Rocco and his Brothers, The Leopard and Mr Klein, but also in popular French cinema, especially the thrillers of Henri Verneuil, Jacques Deray and Jean-Pierre Melville, of which he was a pillar for decades. Fans and students alike will relish a book that explains and documents the enduring appeal of one of the great stars of French and world cinema.
