Dangerous Liaisonsis a 1988 Americanperiodromantic dramafilm directed byStephen Frearsfrom a screenplay byChristopher Hampton,based on his 1985 playLes Liaisons dangereuses,itself adapted from the 1782 French novelof the same namebyPierre Choderlos de Laclos.[1]It starsGlenn Close,John Malkovich,Michelle Pfeiffer,Uma Thurman,Swoosie Kurtz,Mildred Natwick,Peter CapaldiandKeanu Reeves.
| Dangerous Liaisons | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Stephen Frears |
| Screenplay by | Christopher Hampton |
| Based on | Les Liaisons dangereuses 1782 epistolary novel byPierre Choderlos de LaclosandLes liaisons dangereuses 1985 play byChristopher Hampton |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
| Edited by | Mick Audsley |
| Music by | George Fenton |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $14 million |
| Box office | $34.7 million |
Dangerous Liaisonswas theatrically released byWarner Bros. Pictureson December 21, 1988. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with high praise for the performances by Close and Pfeiffer and the screenplay, production values, costumes and soundtrack. Grossing $34.7 million against its $14 million budget, it was a modest box-office success. It received seven nominations at the61st Academy Awards,including for theBest Picture,and won three:Best Adapted Screenplay,Best Costume Design,andBest Production Design.[2]
Plot
editInpre-RevolutionParis, 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 beenpresented to societyafter spending her formative years in the shelter of aconvent.
Merteuil calls on the similarly unprincipled Vicomte de Valmont, another ex-lover of hers, to do the deed. Valmont declines as he is plotting to seduce Madame de Tourvel, the devoutly religious wife of a member of Parliament and a current guest of Valmont's aunt, Madame de Rosemonde. Amused and incredulous at Valmont's hubris, 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 Cécile's mother and Merteuil's cousin, Madame de Volanges, warning Tourvel that Valmont is nefarious and untrustworthy. Valmont resolves to seduce Cécile as revenge for her mother's accurate denunciation of him.
At the opera, Cécile meets the charming and handsome Chevalier Raphael Danceny, who becomes her music teacher. They fall in love with coa xing from Merteuil, who knows that Danceny, as a nobleman of lesser rank, naive, young, and not particularly wealthy, can never qualify as a bona fide suitor.
Valmont gains access to Cécile's bedchamber on a pretext and sexually assaults her. As she pleads with him to leave, he blackmails her into giving up physical resistance, and the scene ends. On the pretext of illness, Cécile remains locked in her chambers, refusing all visitors. A concerned Madame de Volanges asks Merteuil to speak to Cécile; Cécile confides in Merteuil, naively assuming that she has Cécile's best interests at heart. Merteuil advises Cécile 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, Cécile is courted by Danceny, and each night, she receives a sexual "lesson" from Valmont. Merteuil begins an affair with Danceny.
After a night in Valmont's bed, Cécile miscarries her child. Meanwhile, Valmont has won Tourvel's heart, but at a cost: the lifelong bachelor playboy falls in love. In a fit of jealousy, Merteuil mocks Valmont and refuses to honor her end of their agreement unless Valmont breaks up with Tourvel. Valmont abruptly dismisses Tourvel with a terse excuse: "It's beyond my control." Overwhelmed with grief and shame, Tourvel retreats to a monastery where her health deteriorates rapidly.
Despite the breakup, Merteuil still refuses to honor the agreement and even declares "war." She informs Danceny that Valmont has been sleeping with Cécile. Danceny challenges Valmont to a duel, ending with the latter voluntarily running into Danceny's sword. With his dying breath, Valmont asks Danceny to communicate to Tourvel his true feelings for her; he also warns Danceny about Meurteuil and gives him his collection of intimate letters from her as proof of the veracity of his warnings. Valmont tells Danceny to circulate them after he has read them.
After hearing Valmont's message from Danceny, Tourvel dies. Meanwhile, following Valmont's death, Merteuil sinks into madness and pain. Later, she attends a show at the opera but leaves after being booed by her former friends and sycophants, implying that all of Paris has learned the full range of her schemes and depredations due to Danceny's circulation of the letters.
Cast
edit- Glenn Closeas Marquise de Merteuil
- John Malkovichas Vicomte de Valmont
- Michelle Pfeifferas Madame de Tourvel
- Uma Thurmanas Cécile de Volanges
- Swoosie Kurtzas Madame de Volanges, mother of Cécile and cousin to Merteuil
- Keanu Reevesas Le Chevalier Danceny, suitor to Cécile
- Mildred Natwickas Madame de Rosemonde, Valmont's aunt
- Peter Capaldias Azolan, Valmont's valet
- Valerie Goganas Julie, Madame de Tourvel's chambermaid
- Laura Benson as Émilie, a courtesan
- Joe Sheridan as Georges, Madame de Tourvel's footman
- Joanna Pavlis as Adèle, Madame de Rosemonde's maid
- Harry Jones as Monsieur Armand
- François Montagut as Belleroche, Merteuil's lover
Production
editDangerous Liaisonswas the first English-language film adaptation of Laclos's novel. The screenplay was based onChristopher Hampton'sOlivier Award-winning andTony Award-nominatedtheatrical adaptationfor theRoyal Shakespeare Company,[3]directed byHoward Daviesand featuringLindsay Duncan,Alan RickmanandJuliet Stevenson.
The film was shot entirely on location in theÎle-de-Franceregion of northern France, and featured historical buildings such as theChâteau de VincennesinVal-de-Marne,theChâteau de Champs-sur-Marne,theChâteau de GuermantesinSeine-et-Marne,theChâteau du SaussayinEssonne,and theThéâtre MontansierinVersailles.[4][5]
Liaisonswas the final film appearance ofAcademy AwardandTony Award-nominated actressMildred Natwick.[6]Drew BarrymoreandSarah Jessica Parkerwere considered for the role of Cécile before it went to Thurman.[7]Annette Beningwent through several auditions for the role of the courtesan Émilie, but in the end the role went to Laura Benson.[8]Bening would go on to play the role of the Marquise de Merteuil inMiloš Forman's adaptation ofLes Liaisons Dangereuses,Valmont,a year later.
During production Malkovich had an affair with Pfeiffer. His six-year marriage to actressGlenne Headlyended shortly thereafter.[9][10][11]
Thurman later revealed that she stripped for this film because she thought it was the right choice at the time despite her immense nervousness, but she hated how "voyeuristic" the final cut of the scene was and resolved not to go naked in a movie again.[12]
Soundtrack
editThescoreofDangerous Liaisonswas written by the British film music composerGeorge Fenton.The soundtrack also includes works by a number ofbaroqueandclassicalcomposers, reflecting the story's18th-Century-Frenchsetting; pieces byAntonio Vivaldi,Johann Sebastian Bach,George Frideric HandelandChristoph Willibald Gluckfeature prominently, although no French composers are included.[13]
| Track | Song title | Composer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dangerous LiaisonsMain Title/ "Dressing" | George Fenton |
| 2 | "Madame De Tourvel" | George Fenton |
| 3 | "The Challenge" | George Fenton |
| 4 | "O malheureuse Iphigénie!", fromIphigénie en Tauride | Christoph Willibald Gluck |
| 5 | "Going Hunting" – "Allegro" fromOrgan Concerto No. 13, "The Cuckoo and the Nightingale" | George Frideric Handel,arr. George Fenton |
| 6 | "Valmont's First Move" / "The Staircase" | George Fenton |
| 7 | "Beneath The Surface" | George Fenton |
| 8 | "The Set Up" | George Fenton |
| 9 | "The Key" | George Fenton |
| 10 | "Her Eyes Are Closing" | George Fenton |
| 11 | "Ombra mai fu",fromSerse | George Frideric Handel |
| 12 | "Tourvel's Flight" | George Fenton |
| 13 | "Success" | George Fenton |
| 14 | "Emilie" | George Fenton |
| 15 | "Beyond My Control" | George Fenton |
| 16 | "A Final Request" | George Fenton |
| 17 | "Ombra mai fu" reprise/ "The Mirror" | George Frideric Handel/George Fenton |
| 18 | Dangerous LiaisonsEnd Credits | George Fenton |
| 19 | "Allegro" fromConcerto in A minor for four harpsichords,BWV1065 | Johann Sebastian Bach |
Reception
editCritical response
editDangerous Liaisonsholds a score of 94% onRotten Tomatoesbased on 31 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Stylish, seductive, and clever, Stephen Frears' adaptation is a wickedly entertaining exploration of sexual politics."[14]OnMetacriticit has a score of 74 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]Audiences surveyed byCinemaScoregave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.[16]
Pauline KaelinThe New Yorkerdescribed it as "heaven – alive in a way that movies rarely are."[15]Hal HinsoninThe Washington Postwrote 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."[17]Roger Ebertcalled it "an absorbing and seductive movie, but not compelling."[18]Varietyconsidered it an "incisive study of sex as an arena for manipulative power games."[19]Vincent CanbyinThe New York Timeshailed it as a "kind of lethal drawing-room comedy."[20]
TheTime Outreviewer wrote ofChristopher 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".[21]James AchesonandStuart Craigwere also praised for their work, with Sheila Benson of theLos Angeles Timesstating that "the film's details of costuming (byThe Last Emperor's James Acheson) and production design (by Stuart Craig ofGandhiandThe Mission) are ravishing ".[22]All three would go on to winAcademy Awardsfor their work on this film.
Glenn Closereceived considerable praise for her performance; she was lauded byThe New York Timesfor her "richness and comic delicacy,"[20]whileMick LaSalleof theSan Francisco Chroniclewrote that, once she "finally lets loose and gives way to complete animal despair, Close is horrifying."[15]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."[18]
Michelle Pfeifferwas widely acclaimed for her portrayal, despite playing, in the opinion ofThe 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."[17]TheNew York Timescalled her performance a "happy surprise."[20]Roger Ebert, considering the trajectory of her career, wrote that "in a year that has seen her in varied assignments such asMarried to the MobandTequila Sunrise,the movie is more evidence of her versatility. She is good when she is innocent and superb when she is guilty. "[18]Pfeiffer would go on to win theBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Rolefor her performance.
The casting ofJohn Malkovichproved 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".[20]The Washington Postwas 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."[17]Varietywas 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".[19]
Uma Thurmangained recognition from critics and audiences;[23][24]film critic Roger Ebert found her to be "well cast" in her "tricky" key role.[18]
Accolades
editRelated adaptations
editAlmost 25 years after he played Valmont,John Malkovichdirected a French-language version of Hampton's play in Paris, which ran at theThéâtre de l'Atelier.[34][35]In December 2012, the production was brought toLansburgh Theatreby theShakespeare Theatre Companyfor a limited run in Washington, D.C.[36]
In 1989, the filmValmontwas released starringColin Firth,Annette BeningandMeg Tilly.
In 1999, the filmCruel Intentionsset the same story in present-day America, starringSarah Michelle Gellar,Ryan PhillippeandReese Witherspoon.
In 2012, aChinese versionwas released, starringJang Dong-gun,Zhang ZiyiandCecilia Cheung.It is loosely based on the novel itself and is set in 1930sShanghai.
In 2018, the TV seriesThe Great Seducerwas released as a modern-day adaptation set in Korea starringJoy (singer),Moon Ga-young,Kim Min-jae (actor, born 1996)andWoo Do-hwan.
Dawn FrenchandJennifer SaundersparodiedDangerous Liaisonson their sketch showFrench & Saunders,which then inspired their 1999 comedy seriesLet Them Eat Cake.
In 2022, the seriesDangerous Liaisonspremiered on premium television providerStarz.According to writer Harriet Warner, the series is loosely inspired by the novel and explores the marquise's life before the events of the play.[37]
Notes
edit- ^Also forDeath of a SalesmanandThe Glass Menagerie.
References
edit- ^"Stephen Frears".theauteurs.Archived fromthe originalon November 16, 2009.RetrievedNovember 9,2009.
- ^ab"The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners".oscars.org.Archivedfrom the original on July 6, 2011.RetrievedJuly 31,2011.
- ^"Olivier Winners 1986".The Official London Theatre Guide.Archived fromthe originalon January 11, 2012.RetrievedNovember 8,2009.
- ^"Film Locations for Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons (1988), in France".The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations.RetrievedJuly 28,2024.
- ^Lawrence, Katrina (November 13, 2022)."In Search of the Paris of Dangerous Liaisons".Paris For Dreamers.RetrievedJuly 28,2024.
- ^"Dangerous Liaisons (1988)".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.RetrievedJuly 28,2024.
- ^"When Stylist Met Uma".stylist.co.uk.RetrievedJuly 28,2024.
- ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:BFI Screen Talk: Annette Bening BFI London Film Festival 2017.YouTube.BFI. November 10, 2017.RetrievedMay 27,2018.
- ^"Being John Malkovich".The Age.April 26, 2003.Archivedfrom the original on October 16, 2015.RetrievedJuly 11,2015.
- ^"Right for the part".The Daily Telegraph.June 1, 2003.Archivedfrom the original on February 12, 2018.RetrievedJuly 11,2015.
- ^Akbar, Arifa (January 8, 2011)."John Malkovich: 'I don't need to be liked'".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on May 7, 2015.RetrievedMay 12,2015.
- ^"Uma Thurman will never go nude".femalefirst.co.uk.Archived fromthe originalon April 18, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 13,2022.
- ^Dangerous Liaisons – George FentonatAllMusic
- ^"Dangerous Liaisons".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.Archivedfrom the original on October 6, 2008.RetrievedJune 14,2022.
- ^abcKael, Pauline(January 9, 1989)."Dangerous Liaisons".The New Yorker.RetrievedJuly 28,2024– via Scraps from the Loft.
- ^"Dangerous Liaisons (1989) B+".CinemaScore.Archived fromthe originalon December 20, 2018.RetrievedJuly 7,2019.
- ^abcHinson, Hal(January 13, 1989)."Dangerous Liaisons".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on August 1, 2017.RetrievedAugust 26,2017.
- ^abcdEbert, Roger(January 13, 1989)."Dangerous Liaisons".Chicago Sun-Times.Archivedfrom the original on December 29, 2020.RetrievedJuly 7,2019.
- ^ab"Dangerous Liaisons Review".Variety.January 1, 1988.Archivedfrom the original on July 7, 2019.RetrievedNovember 8,2009.
- ^abcdCanby, Vincent(December 21, 1988)."Passion in the Ancien Régime".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2013.RetrievedFebruary 7,2017.
- ^"Dangerous Liaisons".Time Out London.Archived fromthe originalon April 8, 2010.RetrievedNovember 8,2009.
- ^Benson, Sheila(December 21, 1988)."MOVIE REVIEWS: Dangerous Games for Power and Fame: 18th-Century Love Games Produce 'Dangerous Liaisons'".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 7, 2019.RetrievedJuly 7,2019.
- ^"Dangerous Liaisons (1988)".Rotten Tomatoes.Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2017.RetrievedApril 29,2017.
- ^Blau, Eleanor (December 30, 1998)."New Face: Uma Thurman; Prospects in 'Liaisons' Were Awesome at First".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on December 29, 2020.RetrievedApril 27,2020.
- ^"The ASC Awards".American Society of Cinematographers.Archived fromthe originalon August 2, 2011.
- ^"BSFC Winners: 1980s".Boston Society of Film Critics.July 27, 2018.RetrievedJuly 5,2021.
- ^"BAFTA Awards: Film in 1990".British Academy Film Awards.RetrievedSeptember 16,2016.
- ^"Best Cinematography in Feature Film"(PDF).British Society of Cinematographers.RetrievedJune 3,2021.
- ^"The 1990 Caesars Ceremony".César Awards.RetrievedJuly 10,2021.
- ^"Chicago Film Critics Awards – 1988–97".Chicago Film Critics Association.Archived fromthe originalon April 22, 2016.RetrievedJuly 21,2015.
- ^"1988 Award Winners".National Board of Review.RetrievedJuly 5,2021.
- ^"Past Awards".National Society of Film Critics.December 19, 2009.RetrievedJuly 5,2021.
- ^"Awards Winners".Writers Guild of America Awards.Archived fromthe originalon December 5, 2012.RetrievedJune 6,2010.
- ^"Les Liaisons Dangereuses".Théâtre de l'Atelier(in French). Archived fromthe originalon November 29, 2012.RetrievedNovember 12,2012.
- ^Trueman, Matt (February 3, 2012)."John Malkovich directs Dangerous Liaisons on stage".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on October 3, 2016.RetrievedNovember 12,2012.
- ^Jones, Kenneth (November 6, 2012)."John Malkovich's French-Language Staging ofLes Liaisons DangereusesWill Dawn in DC in December ".Playbill.Archived fromthe originalon January 31, 2013.RetrievedNovember 12,2012.
- ^Rantala, Hanna (November 3, 2022)."New 'Dangerous Liasions' TV series 'a prelude, origin story', makers say".Reuters.RetrievedNovember 28,2022.
External links
edit
