Alain Delon (1935 - 2024)

He hated getting old and helpless. For that reason, he rarely acted in the 21st century. But the film where he did appear playing the hilariously narcissistic Julius Caesar - 2008 Asterix at the Olympic Games - showed his exceptional comedic chops, usually not associated with the great dramatic actor.

He dreaded suffering and wanted to make arrangements for euthanasia after a double stroke he had in 2021. And then Russia started the war with Ukraine and he vowed that he'd do everything in his power to stop the war and help Ukraine as much as he could.

He died yesterday, August 18, 2024, at the age of 88 and my social media feeds are full of his tributes and photographs of "the most beautiful man in the world," as many media called him at the height of his career.

Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon was probably the most celebrated and best known French actor of his generation, which produced many great names such as Jean-Paul Belmondo, Pierre Richard, and Gerard Depardieu. Americans will probably know him at least from such well-known and acclaimed films as Rocco and His Brothers (1960, one of the best family dramas of all times), The Leopard (1963, Visconti's epic about the Garibaldi Revolution and how it affected the Sicilian society) and Le Samourai (1967, one of the most mysterious and mystifying crime dramas). His extensive acting credits include 88 feature films, 7 TV films and series, and 7 theater plays.

I remember him the most from his historical adventure films - Zorro and The Black Tulip - where he shined bright and witty and was an epitome of handsomeness and bravery for us, Soviet teenagers. The original social justice warrior. The Soviet bureaucrats generally allowed and happily and masterfully dubbed most of the Delon films, as many of them contained social commentary and critique of Western societies. Delon even participated in Teheran-43, a Soviet political thriller about the thwarted Nazi attempt to assassinate Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1943 Tehran Conference.

One of the great social commentary films that stuck with me for a long time was 1973 Two Men in Town, a lesser-known Delon movie perhaps because in that same year he starred in four other features, including Scorpio, a spy film where Delon played alongside with Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield. Or perhaps because Two Men in Town was too heavy and philosophical, centering on death penalty.

It probably sounds wild to the global Millennials and Gen Z, but France used to have the death penalty until 1981 when it was abolished altogether. More than that, the death penalty in France was executed with the guillotine! Yes, yes, the same cruel head-chopping machine that the French used to behead their kings and queens in revolutions was the default terminal punishment instrument late into the 20th century. It was used for the last time in 1977, and many people still believe that the ban happened at least partially due to the Two Men in Town's contribution to the discussion and exposure of the French judicial and penitentiary system, especially prison conditions, riots, and treatment of prisoners at the time.

Yesterday, when the news of Delon's death broke, I re-watched the film to see if it would produce the same impression on me as it did when I was young. It did, but at a different level and playing to different strings in my heart. As I knew the plot, I paid more attention to how the film was constructed and executed, and to the quality of acting. The movie starts and ends with one of the two main characters, played by the great Jean Gabin, reflecting on the French judicial system in general and the guillotine in particular. Gabin's character Germain Cazeneuve is a retired cop turned social worker in prison where he meets the reformed bank robber Gino played by Delon, for whom he vouches to be released on probation two years before his sentence ended.

The film is built around Germain and Gino's relationship of trust that develops into friendship and more like a father-son relationship. Through Germain's character, we are forced to see humanity in prisoners and criminals, both reformed and slipping back into crimes. I was again impressed with the depth of both main characters and the superb acting both Gabin and Delon gifted us with. I will not tell you the entire plot of the movie in case you would like to watch it, but I promise you that the last look Delon throws at Gabin at the end of the movie, when their piercing blue eyes meet, will stay with you for a long time.

Farewell, the piercing blue eyes and a mysteriously seductive smile! Farewell, the greatest talent and muse of many a director, Visconti in particular. Hope you two have a great reunion, just like with your great pal Belmondo. You've had a great ride in the movie world and imprinted many of us with your memorable characters and zest for life, human dignity and justice. Smooth sailing into eternity!

UPD: I have found 1975 Delon’s Zerro, perfectly dubbed, free on YouTube. These links tend to travel, so watch it while you can.