Alain Delon Style, Stardom and Masculinity [Hardcover]

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 inPurple Noonin 1960, through two legendary performances inRocco and HisBrothersandThe Leopardin 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.

Alain Delon: Style, Stardom, and Masculinity is a balanced act of reading the various aspects of this much controversial star. By reading Delons 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 lCg