Alain Delon in 8 unforgettable and unsurpassed performances

The French actor, who passed away this Sunday, leaves behind a host of cult roles.

He was one of the last sacred monsters of French cinema. An international icon for six decades, Alain Delon died this Sunday at the age of 88, leaving behind an exceptional filmography, among the most dazzling of the French 7th art. His beauty, his animal charisma, his mastery of the frame and the game have madeAlain Delon a huge actor, certainly one of the most talented of all time. A look back at 8 of his exceptional performances that made him the ultimate actor.

Alain Delon regrets not having made a film under the direction of a woman

The most beautiful: The Swimming Pool, by Jacques Deray (1969)

It's hard to forget the image ofAlain Delon lying in a bathing suit by the edge of this pool. Half a century after the film's release, the performance and beauty of the actor, who was thirty-four at the time, are still etched in people's minds. So much so that the film is still used today for advertising campaigns, particularly for perfume. Charming, seductive and simply beautiful, Alain Delon radiates in this disturbing film with masterful direction and sublime interpretation.

The most Zorro: The Black Tulip, by Christian-Jaque (1963)

Released in 1963 and signed Christian-Jaque, The Black Tulip dives into the heart of Roussillon on the eve of the French Revolution. The film follows a young aristocrat who steals from nobles hiding under the identity of the Black Tulip. Scarred on the face by the chief of police, he convinces his twin brother to take his place to hide the fact that he is now disfigured. A soporific swashbuckling film for some, entertaining for others, The Black Tulip highlights a character who is reminiscent in some of his aspects Zorro. Something to delight fans.

The most ambiguous: Full sun, by René Clément (1960)

It is a disturbing, perverse and ambiguous role thatAlain Delon endorsed in front of the camera of Rene Clement. Adapted from the novel Mr. Ripley of Patricia Highsmiththis dark feature film allowed the actor to shine on the big screen. Carried by a staging that would not be denied Hitchcock, Alain Delon dazzles as a man tasked by a billionaire to bring his son (on vacation in Italy) back to California and who ends up taking his place after assassinating him. Elegant, seductive and disturbing, Alain Delon is brilliant in the role of a manipulator with electrifying magnetism. From the character embodied by the actor to the relationships between the characters, ambiguity is present in Full sun.

The most Kafkaesque: Mr Kleinby Joseph Losey (1976)

It is thanks to this film by Joseph Losey thatAlain Delon won his very first César nomination in the best actor category. If the actor as a person is not unanimous, as an actor he greatly deserves the recognition of his peers. Particularly for this film in which he plays an Alsatian, an art dealer, who discovers that a Jew is using his name. A stranger that he will try to find. A feature film that takes up certain Kafkaesque themes expressed in particular in The Metamorphosis or even The Castle, namely the quest and the question of identity.

The most existential: The Samurai, by Jean-Pierre Melville (1967)

In this classic of Jean-Pierre Melville, Alain Delon embodies Jef Costello aka The Samurai. A hitman, he is about to be discovered when he crosses paths, after having murdered his last victim, with the club's pianist named Valérie. While the police's suspicions fall on him, the only person capable of incriminating him pretends not to know him. A decision that intrigues Le Samouraï, powerfully embodied by a Alain Delon of fascinating beauty. Subtle and intense, the film is particularly notable for the existential questioning that this hero goes through, who will gradually question solitude, his soul and his identity. All with a sobriety and minimalism in tune with a worked staging

The most chic: The Leetah, by Luchino Visconti (1963)

Palme d'Or at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, The Cheetah of Luchino Visconti shows a Alain Delon at the height of elegance. A small, well-trimmed moustache, suits on all levels, a small parting on top and a lock of hair on the side: the actor plays the nobles and his character of Tancred, nephew of Prince Salina, wonderfully. The latter, who senses that the aristocracy is going to decline while Garibaldi and his Red Shirts are shaking up Sicily, agrees to marry his nephew, who is promised to his own daughter, with the mayor's daughter whose social class is growing in power. A fresco marked by a certain formalism but carried by an interesting scenario, elaborate sets and costumes that put chic in the spotlight.

The most fantastic: Extraordinary stories, from Federico Fellini (1968)

Alain Delon is featured in the second of three sketches collected in these Extraordinary stories presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 1968. In William Wilson of Louis Mallehe plays a very despotic and sadistic Austrian officer who sees some of his dishonest plans thwarted by his double. Adapted from a short story byEdgar Allan Poejust like the other two sketches, this short film with Delon is rather cold and faithful to its original text, mixing the fantastic and the grotesque.

The most “Delonian”: Borsalinoby Jacques Deray (1970)

Alain Delon/Jean-Paul Belmondo : the battle of the titans. In this film by Jacques Deraywhich follows the rise and fall of two Marseille thugs in the 1930s, the two stars of the seventh art of the time finally give each other a reply. Each in the shoes of a crook, they make sparks fly in this feature film which attracted more than 4 million spectators. A nice success boosted by the rumors surrounding the rivalry of the two headliners who also faced each other in court after the film's release. A conflict born after a non-respected agreement for the film's poster. A nice ego affair in short.

Did you know? Borsalino, a cult film with Delon and Belmondo, was deprived of television for 12 years