This node is not going to be about Alain Delon or anything about his roles in any movies. This is about how I felt about him when I fist saw him.
Oh, how I loved him so dearly!
I might have as well as seen a handful of movies he’s in it, but I do not remember any, except “Purple Noon”. Of course, the title of the movie was translated into a different one in my native langauge, and I still truly believe it was more romantic that way.
I first (and probably last remember seeing him) saw him in “Purple Noon” when I was very young like nine or ten. This requires me a bit of explanation of seeing this kind of movies at that age. My mom used to watch classic movies which she used to get in touch with when she was an adolescent. This did not force me to watch old movies, but it influenced me a lot, and I think this is why I have this vague fascination toward 40s, 50s and 60s’ movies including musicals and so forth.
So back to the topic, I saw Alain in “Purple Noon”. He was handsome just like any other actors we see around everyday. But there is this scene that I can never forget: Alain looking himself in the mirror in the boat talking himself to convince something like he can do it (is it?). It doesn’t really matter what he said there. What is important is that he was just so perfect in that scene, so angelic, so much like a perfect sculpture freshly cut out of master’s hands. Although I was young and wild and rough as Scout in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird”, he was just so perfect and handsome to turn myself into a girl for a moment to fall in love with him, to think to possess him for mine.
I have yet to see “The Talented Mr. Ripley” for fearing Matt Damon might shatter my childhood fantasy. Mr. Delon was that good.
God, now I feel like such a grown-up feeling nostalgic about stuff over this.