Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
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In 18th-century France, a high-society woman orchestrates a complex game of seduction and revenge against a former lover.
The story
In pre-Revolution Paris, the Marquise de Merteuil 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 fiancée, Cécile de Volanges, who has only recently been presented to society. Merteuil enlists the unprincipled Vicomte de Valmont to carry out the task. Valmont, initially reluctant, accepts a challenge from Merteuil: if he can seduce a devoutly religious woman and provide proof, she will sleep with him. The two aristocrats begin a dangerous game of manipulation and seduction within the rigid social structures of 18th-century France.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In pre-Revolution Paris, the Marquise de Merteuil seeks revenge on her ex-lover, the Comte de Bastide, by orchestrating the seduction of his fiancée, Cécile de Volanges. She enlists the Vicomte de Valmont, who is initially distracted by his own plot to seduce the devout Madame de Tourvel. Merteuil offers Valmont a wager: if he seduces Tourvel and provides proof, she will sleep with him. Valmont accepts and proceeds to seduce Cécile, who is also being courted by the innocent Chevalier Danceny. Merteuil manipulates Cécile into a 'student-teacher' relationship with Valmont while she begins an affair with Danceny. After Cécile suffers a miscarriage, Valmont falls in love with Tourvel. Merteuil, furious at his change of heart, forces him to break off with Tourvel. Following a series of escalating betrayals, Merteuil reveals Valmont's trysts to Danceny, leading to a duel in which Valmont is mortally wounded. Before dying, Valmont gives Danceny his letters to prove his love for Tourvel. Upon reading them, Tourvel dies. Merteuil is left in a state of madness as her social standing collapses after her schemes are exposed to the public.
- First release year
- 1988
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stephen Frears
- Writers
- Christopher Hampton · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Glenn Close · Marquise de Merteuil; John Malkovich · Vicomte de Valmont; Michelle Pfeiffer · Cécile de Volanges; Uma Thurman · Cécile de Volanges; Swoosie Kurtz; Keanu Reeves; Mildred Natwick; Peter Capaldi
- Genres
- romantic drama; period; erotic drama; historical romance
- Themes
- seduction; revenge; sexual politics; manipulation; social status
- Tone and mood
- stylish; seductive; clever; wickedly entertaining; lethal drawing-room comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; aristocratic intrigue; romance; drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1782 French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (adapted into a 1985 play by Christopher Hampton)
- Reception
- The film was a modest box-office success and received generally favorable reviews, praised for its style, wit, and performances, particularly by Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 91% · review count: 35; Metacritic · score: 74 · review count: 17
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Won; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · Won; Academy Award · Best Production Design · Won; Academy Award · Best Picture · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was the first English-language film adaptation of Laclos's novel.; The film was shot on location in the Île-de-France of northern France in historical buildings.; Michelle Pfeiffer's role was considered for by Drew Barrymore and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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