Dangerous Liaisons

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Dangerous Liaisons
DangerousLiaisonsPoster.jpg

Starring John Malkovich
Glenn Close
Michelle Pfeiffer
Swoosie Kurtz
Keanu Reeves
Mildred Natwick
and
Uma Thurman
Directed by Stephen Frears
Produced by Norma Heyman
Hank Moonjean
Written by Christopher Hampton
Editing by Mick Audsley
Music by George Fenton
Cinematography Philippe Rousselot
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Released December 16, 1988
Runtime 119 min.
language English
Budget $14,000,000 (estimated)
IMDB Info 0094947 on IMDb

Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 film directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer. It is based upon a play by Christopher Hampton which in turn is based on the classic eighteenth-century novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. It is the first film adaptation in English of the novel, although the very next year it was adapted by Miloš Forman as Valmont.

Plot

The Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) and the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich)

The Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) calls on her partner, the Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich), to seduce the young daughter of her cousin, Madame de Volange (Swoosie Kurtz), thus having revenge on a former lover, the man to whom young Cecile de Volange (Uma Thurman) is promised in marriage. At first, Valmont refuses her proposition: he wants to seduce the prudish Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer), who is spending time at his aunt's house while her husband is abroad.

Upon discovering that Madame de Volanges had been secretly writing to Madame de Tourvel to warn her against his evil nature, Valmont changes his mind and decides to follow Merteuil's scheme. They take advantage of the fact that young Cecile is in love with her music teacher, the Chevalier Danceny (Keanu Reeves), who does not qualify in the eyes of her mother as a potential suitor.

At his aunt's, Valmont easily seduces Cecile. She later becomes pregnant with Valmont's child, but suffers a miscarriage, avoiding a scandal. Valmont meanwhile steadily targets his main prey, Madame de Tourvel, who, though realizing that she has become his prey, eventually gives in to his tireless advances.

But unknown to Valmont, the womanizer his entire life, and much against the course of events, the magic of love casts a spell on Valmont. The devoted love of Tourvel shakes him to his roots. But it was too late for him to stop himself and others fall into dark vortex of the evil plans he and Marteuil had cooked up.

Merteuil had promised the Vicomte a night in her company should he be successful. Nevertheless, she refuses to grant him his prize unless he breaks off with Tourvel completely, threatening to spoil his reputation as a debaucher. Valmont heeds to her request and leaves Tourvel, who at this falls fatally ill.

Valmont goes back to Merteuil, who in the meantime has taken Chevalier Danceny as her lover, and demands the immediate fulfillment of her promise. The Marquise refuses, and they declare war.

The Marquise reveals to Danceny that Valmont had seduced Cecile. Danceny and Valmont duel and, lovesick and disinterested, Valmont allows Danceny to fatally wound him. Before he dies, he asks Danceny to visit Tourvel and assure her of his love, and hands him a collection of letters from Merteuil.

After hearing Valmont's message from Danceny, Madame de Tourvel expires. Danceny publishes Merteuil's letters, and she is booed and disgraced by the audience at the opera.

The film and play alter the novel's original ending, in which Merteuil's face is permanently disfigured due to illness.

Cast

  • Glenn Close as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil
  • John Malkovich as Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont
  • Michelle Pfeiffer as Madame Marie de Tourvel
  • Swoosie Kurtz as Madame de Volanges
  • Keanu Reeves as Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny
  • Mildred Natwick as Madame de Rosemonde
  • Uma Thurman as Cécile de Volanges

Production Dangerous Liaisons was Frears' eighth feature film, and his first working with American studios. With seven Academy Award nominations, it was a very successful Hollywood debut.

The film features widely acclaimed performances by Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer in the roles of the three major characters from Laclos' novel, the Marquise de Merteuil, the Vicomte de Valmont and Madame de Tourvel, respectively; Keanu Reeves, Uma Thurman and Swoosie Kurtz also appear in supporting roles.

The movie was shot entirely on location in historical buildings of the French regions of Île-de-France and Picardie such as, among others, the famous Château de Vincennes. It was co-produced by Christopher Hampton, who also wrote the screenplay based on his adaptation of Laclos' novel for the stage.

The original score was written by George Fenton. The soundtrack also included masterpieces of baroque and classical music, most notably works from Vivaldi, Bach, Handel and Gluck.

The original English-language film, which has characters speaking American English, strives for an authentic French sensibility: conversations are hushed, almost whispered, in an effort to evoke the grace and reserve of eighteenth-century nobility.

Adapting the novel

Les Liaisons dangereuses is an epistolary novel, i.e., a novel that is entirely composed of letters. Through the messages sent by its characters, the reader is informed not only of events and situations, but also of what Valmont and Merteuil portray as their innermost thoughts and wishes. This poses problems for stage or screen adaptation, since a large portion of the original material consists not of straightforward action, but of characters of unknown sincerity describing their thoughts an actions.

Hampton's play and screenplay follow the plot of the novel very closely, and are generally considered prime adaptations of Laclos' work. One remarkable difference lies in the fact that the film internalises and perhaps somewhat softens the final fate of the Marquise de Merteuil. In the book, she contracts a very painful disease and loses one eye after her letters to Valmont have been published. In the movie, she is ostracized by her peers at the opera, but her ultimate destiny is left undetermined. Her downfall becomes less physical and more mental and emotional.

It has been argued that the dynamics required by stage and film action have rendered the villains less capable of drawing the sympathy of the audience, since their inner motivations are not as clearly depicted as they are in their letters. Although still a very cruel person in the book, Valmont, for instance, is supposed to show a rather more violent nature in the movie.


Awards

Dangerous Liaisons was nominated in 1989 for seven Academy Awards, winning three.

  • Awards:
    • Best Adapted Screenplay (Christopher Hampton)
    • Best Costume Design (James Acheson)
    • Best Art Direction (Stuart Craig, Gérard James).
  • Nominations:
    • Best Picture
    • Best Original Score (George Fenton)
    • Best Actress in a Leading Role (Glenn Close)
    • Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Michelle Pfeiffer)

At the time, the fact that neither Frears nor Malkovich were nominated led to a few critical remarks in specialized magazines, particularly in the case of the latter.

The film won two out of ten BAFTA Awards nominations, for Pfeiffer and Hampton. The writer was also awarded by the London Critics Circle and the Writers Guild of America, East. Philippe Rousselot's cinematography was nominated by the American and by the British Society of Cinematographers, losing both awards.

External links

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