One of France's biggest film stars of the 1960s and 70s, the exceptionally handsome Alain Delon alternated and often combined aspects of a persona which, on the one hand, was boyishly soulful, passive and ethereal, indeed saintly. His image, however, could also be terse, cynical, corrupt, carnal, indeed sexually ambiguous. Debates have long raged as to how good an actor he really is, but few can deny that the best of his films and performances have been extremely effective. For Delon's prime asset has been a smoldering gaze and that sense of quietude which lent atmosphere to films good, bad
