Alain Delon, undisputed star of French and international cinema, died yesterday, August 18. From his beginnings in the theaters to the movies such as “Rocco and His Brothers,”, “The Leopard,” “L’Eclisse,” “The Swimming Pool,”,”Le Samouraï” Delon became a legend. His angelic, seductive face accompanied generations of admirers who loved him not only for his beauty, but especially for the charm and intensity of his performances and directors as Visconti, Antonioni, René Clément, and so many others contributed to the success of his career. Delon, who won a Golden Globe nomination in 1963 for his role in The Leopard, has over the years won the César Award for Best Actor for the film Notre histoire, a David di Donatello for Lifetime Achievement, a Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement, and an honorary Palme d’Or in 2010.
“They ask me for words,” Claudia Cardinale, who starred with him in The Leopard, tells Ansa, “but the sadness is too intense. I join the grief of his children, his loved ones, his fans … The dance is over. Tancredi has gone up to dance with the stars… Forever yours, Angelica.”
Closely linked to the history of Italian cinema, Delon is also remembered by Undersecretary for Culture Lucia Borgonzoni: “Today a true icon of cinema leaves us. Over the years he has given us masterful interpretations, first and foremost that of Tancredi Falconeri in Luchino Visconti’s ‘Leopard’. Impossible then to forget his sincere passion for our country. He will forever be remembered for his charisma and undisputed talent.”
Photo Credits: Frederic.roubieu, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
