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Dangerous Liaisons
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Wikipedia article
'Dangerous Liaisons' is a 1988 American period romantic drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on his 1985 play 'Les liaisons dangereuses', itself adapted from the 1782 French novel of the same name by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.
It stars Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick, Peter Capaldi and Keanu Reeves.
'Dangerous Liaisons' was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 16, 1988. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the performances by Close and Pfeiffer and the screenplay, production values and costumes. Grossing $34.7 million against its $14 million budget, it was a modest box-office success.
It received seven nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, including for the Best Picture, and won three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.
Plot
In pre-Revolution Paris, the Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) plots revenge against her ex-lover, the Comte de Bastide, who recently ended their relationship. To soothe her wounded pride and embarrass Bastide, she seeks to arrange the seduction and disgrace of his young virgin fiance, Ccile de Volanges (Uma Thurman), who has only recently been presented to society after spending her formative years in the shelter of a convent.
Merteuil calls on the similarly unprincipled Vicomte de Valmont (John Malkovich), another ex-lover of hers, to do the deed. Valmont declines, as he is plotting to seduce Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer), the wife of a member of Parliament away in Burgundy and a current houseguest of Valmont's aunt, Madame de Rosemonde (Mildred Natwick). Amused and incredulous at Valmont's hubris in pursuing the chaste, devoutly religious Tourvel, Merteuil ups the ante: if Valmont somehow succeeds in seducing Tourvel and can furnish written proof, Merteuil will sleep with him as well. Never one to refuse a challenge, Valmont accepts.
Tourvel rebuffs all of Valmont's advances. Searching for leverage, he instructs his page Azolan to seduce Tourvel's maid Julie and gain access to Tourvel's private correspondence. One of the letters intercepted is from Ccile's mother and Merteuil's cousin, Madame de Volanges, warning Tourvel that Valmont is a nefarious and untrustworthy individual. Valmont resolves to seduce Ccile as revenge for her mother's accurate denunciation of him.
Meanwhile, in Paris, Ccile meets the charming and handsome Chevalier Raphael Danceny (Keanu Reeves), who becomes her music teacher. They fall in love with coaxing from Merteuil, who knows that Danceny, a poor commoner, can never qualify as a bona fide suitor.
Valmont gains access to Ccile's bedchamber on a pretense, sexually assaults her, and blackmails her into sex as she pleads with him to leave. On the pretext of illness, Ccile remains locked in her chambers, refusing all visitors. A concerned Madame de Volanges asks Merteuil to speak to Ccile; Ccile confides in Merteuil, naively assuming that she has Ccile's best interests at heart. Merteuil advises Ccile to welcome Valmont's advances; she says young women should take advantage of all the lovers they can acquire in a society so repressive and contemptuous of women. The result is a "student-teacher" relationship; by day, Ccile is courted by Danceny, and each night she receives a sexual "lesson" from Valmont. In the meantime, Merteuil begins an affair with Danceny.
Meanwhile, Valmont somehow manages to win Tourvel's heart, but at a cost: the lifelong bachelor playboy falls in love. In a fit of jealousy, Merteuil mocks Valmont and threatens to trash his reputation as a carefree gigolo. She also refuses to honor her end of their agreement since Valmont has no written proof that the relationship has been consummated. Valmont abruptly dismisses Tourvel with a terse excuse: "It is beyond my control." Meanwhile, after a night in Valmont's bed, Ccile miscarries his child.
Overwhelmed with grief and shame, Tourvel retreats to a monastery where her health deteriorates rapidly. Valmont warns Danceny of Merteuil's ulterior motives in seducing him; she retaliates by informing Danceny that Valmont has been sleeping with Ccile. Danceny challenges Valmont to a duel ending with Valmont voluntarily running into Danceny's sword. With his dying breath, Valmont asks Danceny to communicate to Tourvelby now near deathhis true feelings for her. He also gives Danceny his collection of intimate letters from Merteuil, and Danceny publishes them, while Ccile informs her mother of her intention to return permanently to the convent. All of Paris learns the full range of Merteuil's schemes and depredations. Booed and humiliated at the opra by her former friends and sycophants, Merteuil flees in disgrace.
Cast
* Glenn Close as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil
* John Malkovich as Vicomte Sbastien de Valmont
* Michelle Pfeiffer as Madame Marie de Tourvel
* Uma Thurman as Ccile de Volanges
* Swoosie Kurtz as Madame de Volanges, mother of Ccile and cousin to Merteuil
* Keanu Reeves as Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny, suitor to Ccile
* Mildred Natwick as Madame de Rosemonde, Valmont's aunt
* Peter Capaldi as Azolan, Valmont's valet
* Valerie Gogan as Julie, Madame de Tourvel's chambermaid
* Laura Benson as milie, a courtesan
* Joe Sheridan as Georges, Madame de Tourvel's footman
* Joanna Pavlis as Adle, Madame de Rosemonde's maid
* Harry Jones as Monsieur Armand
* Franois Montagut as Belleroche, Merteuil's lover
Production
'Dangerous Liaisons' was the first English-language film adaptation of Laclos's novel. The screenplay was based on Christopher Hampton's Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated theatrical adaptation for the Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Howard Davies and featuring Lindsay Duncan, Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson.
The film was shot entirely on location in the le-de-France region of northern France, and featured historical buildings such as the Chteau de Vincennes in Val-de-Marne, the Chteau de Champs-sur-Marne, the Chteau de Guermantes in Seine-et-Marne, the Chteau du Saussay in Essonne, and the Thtre Montansier in Versailles.
'Liaisons' was the final film appearance of Academy Award and Tony Award-nominated actress Mildred Natwick. Drew Barrymore auditioned for the role of Ccile, and Sarah Jessica Parker turned it down before it was offered to Thurman. Annette Bening went through several auditions for the role of the courtesan milie, but in the end the role went to Laura Benson.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/d_KvxiOEYGw Ghostarchive] and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190820195203/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_KvxiOEYGw&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]: Bening would go on to play the role of the Marquise de Merteuil in Milo Forman's adaptation of 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses', 'Valmont', a year later.
During production Malkovich had an affair with Pfeiffer. His six-year marriage to actress Glenne Headly ended shortly thereafter.
Uma Thurman revealed she was really nervous about stripping for this film but agreed because she felt it was the right thing to do at the time. But she also said she was horrified by the "voyeuristic" way the scene appeared in the final cut of the movie.
Soundtrack
The score of 'Dangerous Liaisons' was written by the British film music composer George Fenton. The soundtrack also includes works by a number of baroque and classical composers, reflecting the story's 18th-Century-French setting; pieces by Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel and Christoph Willibald Gluck feature prominently, although no French composers are included.
Reception
Critical response
'Dangerous Liaisons' holds a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 31 reviews. On Metacritic it has a score of 74 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.Pauline Kael in 'The New Yorker' described it as "heaven alive in a way that movies rarely are." Hal Hinson in 'The Washington Post' wrote that the film's "wit and immediacy is extraordinarily rare in a period film. Instead of making the action seem far off, the filmmakers put the audience in the room with their characters." Roger Ebert called it "an absorbing and seductive movie, but not compelling." 'Variety' considered it an "incisive study of sex as an arena for manipulative power games." Vincent Canby in 'The New York Times' hailed it as a "kind of lethal drawing-room comedy."
The 'Time Out' reviewer wrote of Christopher Hampton's screenplay that "one of the film's enormous strengths is scriptwriter Christopher Hampton's decision to go back to the novel, and save only the best from his play". James Acheson and Stuart Craig were also praised for their work, with Sheila Benson of the 'Los Angeles Times' stating that "the film's details of costuming (by 'The Last Emperor's James Acheson) and production design (by Stuart Craig of 'Gandhi' and 'The Mission') are ravishing". All three would go on to win Academy Awards for their work on this film.
Glenn Close received considerable praise for her performance; she was lauded by 'The New York Times' for her "richness and comic delicacy," while Mick LaSalle of the 'San Francisco Chronicle' wrote that, once she "finally lets loose and gives way to complete animal despair, Close is horrifying." Roger Ebert thought the two lead roles were "played to perfection by Close and Malkovich... their arch dialogues together turn into exhausting conversational games, tennis matches of the soul."
Michelle Pfeiffer was widely acclaimed for her portrayal, despite playing, in the opinion of 'The Washington Post', "the least obvious and the most difficult" role. "Nothing is harder to play than virtue, and Pfeiffer is smart enough not to try. Instead, she embodies it." The 'New York Times' called her performance a "happy surprise." Roger Ebert, considering the trajectory of her career, wrote that "in a year that has seen her in varied assignments such as 'Married to the Mob' and 'Tequila Sunrise', the movie is more evidence of her versatility. She is good when she is innocent and superb when she is guilty." Pfeiffer would later win a British Academy Film Award for her performance.
The casting of John Malkovich proved to be a controversial decision that divided critics. 'The New York Times', while admitting there was the "shock of seeing him in powdered wigs", concluded that he was "unexpectedly fine. The intelligence and strength of the actor shape the audience's response to him". 'The Washington Post' was similarly impressed with Malkovich's performance: "There's a sublime perversity in Frears' casting, especially that of Malkovich... [he] brings a fascinating dimension to his character that would be missing with a more conventionally handsome leading man." 'Variety' was less impressed, stating that while the "sly actor conveys the character's snaky, premeditated Don Juanism... he lacks the devilish charm and seductiveness one senses Valmont would need to carry off all his conquests".
Uma Thurman gained recognition from critics and audiences; film critic Roger Ebert found her to be "well cast" in her "tricky" key role. At the time, insecure about her appearance, she spent roughly a year in London, during which she often wore loose, baggy clothing.[http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/882:1170/1/Uma_Thurman.htm "Uma Thurman Biography"] , Biography Channel, Retrieved October 18, 2011. Malkovich said of her, "There is nothing twitchy teenager-ish about her, I haven't met anyone like her at that age. Her intelligence and poise stand out. But there's something else. She's more than a little haunted."
Accolades
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="7"| Academy Awards
| Best Picture
| Norma Heyman and Hank Moonjean
|
|-
| Best Actress
| Glenn Close
|
|-
| Best Supporting Actress
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
| Christopher Hampton
|
|-
| Best Art Direction
| Stuart Craig and Grard James
|
|-
| Best Costume Design
| James Acheson
|
|-
| Best Original Score
| George Fenton
|
|-
| American Society of Cinematographers Awards
| Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
| Philippe Rousselot
|
|-
| ASECAN Awards
| Best Foreign Film
| rowspan="5"| Stephen Frears
|
|-
| Association of Polish Filmmakers Critics Awards
| Best Foreign Film
|
|-
| Bodil Awards
| Best Non-European Film
|
|-
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
| Best Director
|
|-
| rowspan="10"| British Academy Film Awards
| Best Direction
|
|-
| Best Actress in a Leading Role
| Glenn Close
|
|-
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| Best Adapted Screenplay
| Christopher Hampton
|
|-
| Best Cinematography
| Philippe Rousselot
|
|-
| Best Costume Design
| James Acheson
|
|-
| Best Editing
| Mick Audsley
|
|-
| Best Make Up Artist
| Jean-Luc Russier
|
|-
| Best Original Film Score
| George Fenton
|
|-
| Best Production Design
| Stuart Craig
|
|-
| British Society of Cinematographers
| Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film
| Philippe Rousselot
|
|-
| Csar Awards
| Best Foreign Film
| Stephen Frears
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
| Best Actress
| Glenn Close
|
|-
| Best Supporting Actress
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| David di Donatello Awards
| Best Foreign Actor
| John Malkovich
|
|-
| Fotogramas de Plata
| Best Foreign Film
| Stephen Frears
|
|-
| Goldene Kamera
| Best International Actress
| Glenn Close
|
|-
| Guild of German Art House Cinemas Awards
| Best Foreign Film (Gold Award)
| Stephen Frears
|
|-
| Joseph Plateau Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Foreign Film
|
|-
| London Critics Circle Film Awards
| Screenwriter of the Year
| Christopher Hampton
|
|-
| Nastro d'Argento
| Best Foreign Director
| Stephen Frears
|
|-
| National Board of Review Awards
| colspan="2"| Top Ten Films
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| National Society of Film Critics Awards
| Best Supporting Actress
| Michelle Pfeiffer
|
|-
| Best Cinematography
| Philippe Rousselot
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Sant Jordi Awards
| Best Foreign Film
| rowspan="2"| Stephen Frears
|
|-
| Best Foreign Film (Audience Award)
|
|-
| Best Foreign Actor
| John Malkovich
|
|-
| SESC Film Festival
| Best Foreign Film
| Stephen Frears
|
|-
| Turkish Film Critics Association Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Foreign Film
|
|-
| Writers Guild of America Awards
| Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
| Christopher Hampton
|
|}
Related adaptations
Almost 25 years after he played Valmont, John Malkovich directed a French-language version of Hampton's play in Paris, which ran at the Thtre de l'Atelier. In December 2012, the production was brought to Lansburgh Theatre by the Shakespeare Theatre Company for a limited run in Washington, D.C.
In 1989, the film 'Valmont' was released starring Colin Firth, Annette Bening and Meg Tilly.
In 1999, the film 'Cruel Intentions' set the same story in present-day America, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon.
In 2018, the tv series "The Great Seducer" was released as an modern-day adaptation set in Korea starring Joy (singer), Moon Ga-young, Kim Min-jae (actor, born 1996) and Woo Do-hwan.
Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders parodied 'Dangerous Liaisons' on their sketch show French & Saunders, which then inspired their 1999 comedy series 'Let Them Eat Cake'.
References
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