Death extinguishes the star of Alain Delon… “the two-headed eagle” and the last giant of French cinema

French cinema star Alain Delon, the last giant of world cinema and a man of great fame, has died at the age of 88, after imprinting generations with his handsomeness and brilliant roles on screen.

“Alain-Fabien, Anouchka and Anthony, as well as Lupo (Dillon’s dog), announce with deep sadness the passing of their father. He died peacefully at his home in Duchy, surrounded by his three children and his family (…) who ask for your privacy in this painful moment of mourning,” the film star’s three children said in a joint statement, putting aside their differences after months of legal dispute over their father, who was weakened by illness.

The star of “Plan Soleil,” “Le Samourai” and “La Piscine” died around 3 a.m., his son Anthony told AFP.

Dillon made headlines in the summer of 2023 when his three children filed a lawsuit against the star’s domestic helper, Hiromi Roland, who is sometimes said to be his partner, accusing her of “exploiting his vulnerability.” The complaints were dismissed and the case was closed.

Then, in 2024, his children fought battles among themselves, through the media and the courts. The two sons accused their sister of manipulating their father, who was suffering from lymphoma and had a stroke in 2019, and hiding the truth about his health condition from them.

In May 2019, he returned to the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival to receive an honorary Palme d’Or. “It’s like a posthumous tribute, but in my lifetime,” he said, tearfully and emotionally.

“I will leave, but I will not leave without thanking you,” added the man, who lived out his last years in his high-walled home in Dushi, where he wanted to be buried close to his dogs.

In 2015, his former partner Mireille Darc told AFP, before the star turned 80, “Alain lives in profound isolation, which he chose, in another world, in the past, with beings he loves very much (…) His vulnerability has always been present.”

“He is a two-headed eagle… the best and the worst,” Brigitte Bardot said when Delon turned 80, embodying throughout his career the duality of “shadow and light.”

Dillon prided himself on never working on his style; he relied on his charisma.

“He’s not an ordinary actor,” actor Vincent Lindon said of Alain Delon in the 2012 documentary “Revolvers.” “I could look at pictures of him for hours. He’s the most beautiful thing in the world. More beautiful than looking at a beautiful woman.”

Jamal Delon was an important figure for film directors, and a large number of his films left their mark on the cinematic field; among them “Plan Soleil” by René Clément (1960), which achieved international fame, “Rocco A.C. Frères” (1960) and “Le Guibert” (1963) by the Italian Luchino Visconti, and “La Piscine” (1969) by Jacques Deray.

In this film, Delon stars alongside Romy Schneider, with whom he forms an amazing duo.

Criticism and mockery

The most important film director in his career was Jean-Pierre Melville, with whom he worked on two films, Le Samouraï (1967) and Le Cercle Rouge (1970), before En Fleck (1972).

Thanks to these roles, Delon became a prominent name in cinema, and enhanced his fame through many other thriller films.

Dillon’s character has inspired directors from around the world, including Hong Kong’s John Woo and American Quentin Tarantino, although Dillon never made it to Hollywood.

From rivalry to rare collaboration (“Borsalino” in 1970 and “Un Chance sur du” in 1998), Delon’s career has gone hand in hand with another star, his friend Jean-Paul Belmondo, who wrote in 2016 “He and I are like night and day.”

Although Dillon was widely admired, he was often criticized for his personality, which was sometimes described as unfriendly.

Some have criticised him for his positions in support of his friend Jean-Marie Le Pen, the far-right leader, on the death penalty or against homosexuality.

Before his appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019, feminist activists sparked controversy over his honor.

Dillon was ridiculed for his arrogance, and was known to speak about himself in the third person.

After Alain Delon’s death, moviegoers who loved him will no doubt remember the opening line of Le Samurai: “There is no loneliness deeper than that of the samurai, except perhaps that of the tiger in the jungle.”

French cinema has lost a “lion” and an “actor with a steely gaze,” Gilles Jacob, former president of the Cannes Film Festival, told AFP, adding that Delon “designed and controlled everything except his own ending.”

“France has lost its star,” singer and actress Amanda Lear told AFP.