When I was researching a time period in France for a novel (https://www.lysbleueditions.com/produit/le-monopole-de-la-tristesse/) - sorry for the shameless plug -- I came across an interesting history regarding Delon I'd never heard about, which was the Marković affair - I won't go into details since you might like to research it on your own, but it also involved allegedly scandalous photos of the wife of the then-president of France...
I’m showing my age, but it was impossible to live through the 60s and 70s (even as a kid) without being exposed to such issues as the affair you mention. Yes, there was another side to Delon which had little to do with cinema.
*Grumbles* They've taken another comment I wrote down on The G, perhaps because the quotation was too long, who knows...
Anyway, you wrote "Like Belmondo, whose career was developing simultaneously, Delon stretched into commercial cinema before turning thirty." so I thought you might appreciate the short answer the Le Monde critic gave today:
"Delon et Belmondo sont extraordinairement complémentaires. C’est une chance pour le cinéma français d’avoir vu apparaître deux acteurs aussi différents au même moment. Delon vient d’un milieu prolétaire, Belmondo d’une famille bourgeoise. Belmondo est solaire, Delon lunaire. Belmondo est un comédien, formé au Conservatoire, Delon un acteur, qui s’est fait sur le tas. Belmondo recherche la comédie, Delon est taillé pour la tragédie. Les deux hommes étaient rivaux en apparence, ils se disputaient les faveurs des spectateurs. Quand ils ont tourné ensemble, Borsalino, de Jacques Deray, Une chance sur deux, de Patrice Leconte, le résultat est déplorable. Ils ne fonctionnaient pas ensemble. Je crois qu’ils le savaient."
When I was researching a time period in France for a novel (https://www.lysbleueditions.com/produit/le-monopole-de-la-tristesse/) - sorry for the shameless plug -- I came across an interesting history regarding Delon I'd never heard about, which was the Marković affair - I won't go into details since you might like to research it on your own, but it also involved allegedly scandalous photos of the wife of the then-president of France...
I’m showing my age, but it was impossible to live through the 60s and 70s (even as a kid) without being exposed to such issues as the affair you mention. Yes, there was another side to Delon which had little to do with cinema.
Great tribute, NYT ran one too but yours is more interesting!
*Grumbles* They've taken another comment I wrote down on The G, perhaps because the quotation was too long, who knows...
Anyway, you wrote "Like Belmondo, whose career was developing simultaneously, Delon stretched into commercial cinema before turning thirty." so I thought you might appreciate the short answer the Le Monde critic gave today:
"Delon et Belmondo sont extraordinairement complémentaires. C’est une chance pour le cinéma français d’avoir vu apparaître deux acteurs aussi différents au même moment. Delon vient d’un milieu prolétaire, Belmondo d’une famille bourgeoise. Belmondo est solaire, Delon lunaire. Belmondo est un comédien, formé au Conservatoire, Delon un acteur, qui s’est fait sur le tas. Belmondo recherche la comédie, Delon est taillé pour la tragédie. Les deux hommes étaient rivaux en apparence, ils se disputaient les faveurs des spectateurs. Quand ils ont tourné ensemble, Borsalino, de Jacques Deray, Une chance sur deux, de Patrice Leconte, le résultat est déplorable. Ils ne fonctionnaient pas ensemble. Je crois qu’ils le savaient."
At 11h14, here: https://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/live/2024/08/18/en-direct-mort-d-alain-delon-hommages-mediatiques-et-des-grandes-figures-du-cinema-suivez-les-reactions_6285295_3476.html
"Belmondo est solaire, Delon lunaire." That is as perfect a juxtaposition of both as I've ever heard.
Gah, and now it has reappeared, strange...