Alain Delon: Style, Stardom and Masculinity

by Nick Rees-Roberts (Editor), Darren Waldron (Editor)

Overview

Few European male actors have been as iconic and influential for generations of filmgoers as Alain Delon. Emblematic of a modern, European masculinity, Delon's appeal spanned cultures and continents. From his breakthrough as the first on-screen Tom Ripley in Purple Noon in 1960, through two legendary performances in Rocco and His Brothers and The Leopard in the early 1960s, to his roles in some of Jean-Pierre Melville's most celebrated films noirs, Delon came to embody the flair and stylishness of the European thriller as one of France's most recognizable film stars.

This collection examines the star's career, image and persona. Not only focusing on his spectacular early performances, the book also considers less well documented aspects of Delon's long career such as his time in Hollywood, his work as director, producer and screenwriter, his musical collaborations, his TV appearances, and his enduring role as a fashion icon in the 21st century. Whether the object of reverence or ridicule, of desire or disdain, Delon remains a unique figure who continues to court controversy and fascination more than five decades after he first achieved international fame.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623567606
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/27/2015
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Nick Rees-Roberts is Senior Lecturer in Film, Department of French, University of Bristol, UK.

Darren Waldron is Senior Lecturer in French Screen Studies, University of Manchester, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Alain Delon, Then and Now
Nick Rees-Roberts, University of Bristol, UK, and Darren Waldron, University of Manchester, UK

On the Limits of Narcissism: Alain Delon, Masculinity and the Delusion of Agency
Darren Waldron, University of Manchester, UK

Delon and Performance: Emploi and the Interaction between Individual, Role and Character
Laurent Jullier, Université Paris Sorbonne Nouvelle, France, and Jean-Marc Leveratto, Université de Lorraine, France

France's 'New Don Juan': The Representation of Delon's Youth
Gwénaëlle Le Gras, Université Bordeaux Montaigne, France

Dubbing Delon: Voice, Body and National Stardom in Rocco and his Brothers
Catherine O'Rawe, University of Bristol, UK

Delon/Gabin/Verneuil: Modernity within Tradition
Leila Wimmer, London Metropolitan University, UK

Alain Delon, International Man of Mystery
Mark Gallagher, University of Nottingham, UK

The Star's Script: Delon as Director, Producer and Screenwriter
Isabelle Vanderschelden, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

The Singing Actor: Delon on Record
Barbara Lebrun, University of Manchester, UK

Dressed to Kill: Delon as Style Icon
Nick Rees-Roberts, University of Bristol, UK

Toujours Delon: The Script of Ageing
Sue Harris, Queen Mary University of London, UK

Editorial Reviews

Alain Delon: Style, Stardom, and Masculinity is a balanced act of reading the various aspects of this much controversial star. By reading Delon’s roles as singer, style icon, director, producer, and screenwriter outside his roles in French films, the book increases significantly the available scholarship on Delon. … The volume highlights the fact that Delon, appreciated or misunderstood, is a unique phenomenon in not only French but world cinema, and his continuing iconicity is one that deserves a thorough exploration even now.” —Devapriya Sanyal, Celebrity Studies

“A bracing and wide-ranging set of essays on a vital French and international star celebrity. As these expert respondents consider Delon's career — embodying culture, commerce and history — they offer a richer understanding not only of this particular icon, but also the possibilities for star studies in general.” —Tim Palmer, Professor of Film Studies, University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA, and author of Brutal Intimacy: Analyzing Contemporary French Cinema (2011) and Irreversible (2015)

“At last, the best-looking, most charismatic French actor of the post-war period gets the sustained attention he deserves. In Alain Delon, Style, Stardom and Masculinity, Nick Rees-Roberts and Darren Waldron have gathered a splendid collection of texts that illuminate the star in his multifarious dimensions: his roles and career choices, performance, looks, voice, fashion sense and sexual attractiveness. Drawing on insights from a range of international scholars, the book also importantly examines and celebrates his presence not just in famous classics such as Rocco and his Brothers, The Leopard and Mr Klein, but also in popular French cinema, especially the thrillers of Henri Verneuil, Jacques Deray and Jean-Pierre Melville, of which he was a pillar for decades. Fans and students alike will relish a book that explains and documents the enduring appeal of one of the great stars of French and world cinema.” —Ginette Vincendeau, Professor of Film Studies, King's College London, UK

From the Publisher

At last, the best-looking, most charismatic French actor of the post-war period gets the sustained attention he deserves. In Alain Delon, Style, Stardom and Masculinity, Nick Rees-Roberts and Darren Waldron have gathered a splendid collection of texts that illuminate the star in his multifarious dimensions: his roles and career choices, performance, looks, voice, fashion sense and sexual attractiveness. Drawing on insights from a range of international scholars, the book also importantly examines and celebrates his presence not just in famous classics such as Rocco and his Brothers, The Leopard and Mr Klein, but also in popular French cinema, especially the thrillers of Henri Verneuil, Jacques Deray and Jean-Pierre Melville, of which he was a pillar for decades. Fans and students alike will relish a book that explains and documents the enduring appeal of one of the great stars of French and world cinema.

Ginette Vincendeau

A bracing and wide-ranging set of essays on a vital French and international star celebrity. As these expert respondents consider Delon's career -- embodying culture, commerce and history -- they offer a richer understanding not only of this particular icon, but also the possibilities for star studies in general.

Tim Palmer