- Dangerous Liaisons Novel Pdf
- Dangerous Liaisons Pdf English
- Dangerous Liaisons Play Script Pdf
- Dangerous Liaisons Cast
Dangerous Liaisons | |
---|---|
Directed by | Stephen Frears |
Produced by | |
Written by | Christopher Hampton |
Based on | Les liaisons dangereuses by Christopher Hampton |
Starring | |
Music by | George Fenton |
Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
Edited by | Mick Audsley |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| |
119 minutes | |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $14 million |
Box office | $34.7 million |
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 American period romantic drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Christopher Hampton and based on his play Les liaisons dangereuses which was itself the adaptation of the 18th-century French novel of the same name by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.[1] It stars Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick, Peter Capaldi, Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman.
Dangerous Liaisons was released theatrically on December 16, 1988 by Warner Bros. It received generally positive reviews from critics with major praise drawn towards Close and Pfeiffer's performances, screenplay, production values and costumes. Although it was a moderate commercial success grossing $34.7 million against its $14 million budget, it was cited as a box office disappointment.The film received seven nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and won three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.[2][3]
- 5Reception
Plot[edit]
In pre-Revolution Paris, the Marquise de Merteuil plots revenge against her ex-lover, the Comte de Bastide, who has 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 after spending her formative years in the shelter of a convent.
Merteuil calls on the similarly unprincipled Vicomte de Valmont to do the deed. Valmont declines, as he is plotting a seduction of his own: Madame de Tourvel, the wife of a member of Parliament away in Corsica, who is currently a houseguest of Valmont's aunt, Madame de Rosemonde. 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 to gain access to Tourvel's private correspondence. One of the letters he intercepts is from Cécile's mother and Merteuil's cousin, Madame de Volanges, warning Tourvel that Valmont is a nefarious and untrustworthy individual. Valmont resolves to seduce Cécile after all, as revenge for her mother's accurate denunciation of him.
- Dangerous Liaisons improves as it progresses. I was tempted to abandon it, but I persisted and am glad, for-although this epistolary novel of the last days of the ancien regime initially appears to be stylish but superficial-it soon grows in both subtlety and power. Many of the difficulties of the.
- Save Save Dangerous liaisons - Choderlos de Laclos.pdf For Later. As to their good, seems this to deter. To me for all.
152 videos Play all Romance Historical Movies - Period Films - Full Length - High Quality Knoxville Hermit FREE Movies, Music and More.
Meanwhile, in Paris, Cécile meets the charming Chevalier Raphael Danceny, who becomes her music teacher. Slowly, 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 Cécile's bedchamber on a false pretense, and rapes her as she pleads with him to leave. On the pretext of illness, Cécile remains locked in her chambers, refusing all visitors. A concerned Madame de Volanges calls upon Merteuil to speak to Cécile, who confides in her, naively assuming that Merteuil has her 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. 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 violent night in Valmont's bed, Cécile 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 Cécile. Danceny challenges Valmont to a duel, and mortally wounds him. With his dying breath, Valmont asks Danceny to communicate to Tourvel—by now near death—his genuine love for her. He gives Danceny his collection of intimate letters from Merteuil, and Danceny publishes them. Danceny visits Madame Tourvel and delivers the message from Valmont. While Danceny is seen whispering in her ear she says 'Enough...Close the curtain' and passes away. Meanwhile, all of Paris learns the entire range of her schemes and depredations. Humiliated at the opéra by her former friends and sycophants, Merteuil flees the opera in disgrace. The final scene shows Merteuil at her vanity removing her makeup, as if her true self has finally been exposed.
Cast[edit]
- Glenn Close as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil
- John Malkovich as Vicomte de Valmont
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Madame Marie de Tourvel
- Uma Thurman as Cécile de Volanges
- Swoosie Kurtz as Madame de Volanges, mother of Cécile and cousin to Merteuil
- Keanu Reeves as Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny, courtier to Cécile.
- 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 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[edit]
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,[4] directed by Howard Davies and featuring Lindsay Duncan, Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson.
The film was shot entirely on location in the Île-de-France region of northern France, and featured historical buildings such the Château de Vincennes in Val-de-Marne, the Château de Champs-sur-Marne, the Château de Guermantes in Seine-et-Marne, the Château du Saussay in Essonne, and the Théâtre Montansier in Versailles.[5]
Liaisons was the final film appearance of Academy Award and Tony Award-nominated actress Mildred Natwick.[6][unreliable source?]Drew Barrymore auditioned for the role of Cécile, and Sarah Jessica Parker turned it down before it was offered to Thurman.[6]Annette Bening went through several auditions for the role of the courtesan Émilie, but in the end the role went to Laura Benson.[7] Bening was auditioning for Milos Forman's adaptation of Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the same time, Valmont, in which she would play the role of the Marquise de Merteuil.
During production Malkovich had an affair with Pfeiffer. His six-year marriage to actress Glenne Headly ended shortly thereafter.[8][9][10]
Soundtrack[edit]
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.[11]
Track | Song Title | Composer |
---|---|---|
1 | Dangerous Liaisons Main Title/'Dressing' | George Fenton |
2 | 'Madame De Tourvel' | George Fenton |
3 | 'The Challenge' | George Fenton |
4 | 'O Malheureuse Iphigénie!', from Iphigénie en Tauride | Christoph Willibald Gluck |
5 | 'Going Hunting' – 'Allegro' from Organ 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', from Serse | 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 Liaisons End Credits | George Fenton |
19 | 'Allegro' from Concerto in a Minor For Four Harpsichords, BWV 1065 | Johann Sebastian Bach |
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
Dangerous Liaisons holds a score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 reviews.[12] On Metacritic it has a score of 74 based on 17 reviews,indicating 'generally favorable reviews'.[13] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.[14]
Pauline Kael in The New Yorker described it as 'heaven – alive in a way that movies rarely are.'[13] 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.'[15]Roger Ebert called it 'an absorbing and seductive movie, but not compelling.'[16]Variety considered it an 'incisive study of sex as an arena for manipulative power games.'[17]Vincent Canby in The New York Times hailed it as a 'kind of lethal drawing-room comedy.'[18]
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'.[19]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'.[20] 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,'[18] 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.'[13] 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.'[16]
![Valmont movie Valmont movie](https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/content/Images/dangerous-liaisons-large.jpg)
Michelle Pfeiffer was also 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.'[15] The New York Times called her performance a 'happy surprise.'[18] 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.'[16] 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'.[18]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.'[15]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'.[17]
Accolades[edit]
At the 61st Academy Awards, Dangerous Liaisons won three Oscars out of seven nominations, for Best Adapted Screenplay (Christopher Hampton), Best Costume Design (James Acheson), and Best Art Direction (Stuart Craig and Gérard James). Its four unsuccessful nominations were for Best Actress (Glenn Close), Best Supporting Actress (Michelle Pfeiffer), Best Original Score (George Fenton), and the Academy Award for Best Picture.[3] Director Stephen Frears and lead actor John Malkovich were not nominated.
At the 43rd British Academy Film Awards, Michelle Pfeiffer won for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Christopher Hampton won for Best Screenplay. The film received a further eight nominations, in the categories of Best Direction (Stephen Frears), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Close), Best Cinematography (Philippe Rousselot), Best Costume Design (Acheson), Best Original Film Score (Fenton), Best Editing (Mick Audsley), Best Make Up Artist (Jean-Luc Russier) and Best Production Design (Craig).[3]
In addition to his Oscar and BAFTA awards, Christopher Hampton also won the London Film Critics' Circle Award for Screenwriter of the Year, and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.[3]
Stephen Frears won the César Award for Best Foreign Film[3] and Best Director from the Boston Society of Film Critics. The film was second only to Mississippi Burning in the National Board of Review'sTop 10 films.
Philippe Rousselot was nominated for both the American Society of Cinematographers Award and the British Society of Cinematographers Award.[3]
Awarding body | Award | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | Best Picture | Norma Heyman Hank Moonjean | Nominated |
Best Actress | Glenn Close | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Michelle Pfeiffer | Nominated | |
Best Adapted Screenplay | Christopher Hampton | Won | |
Best Original Score | George Fenton | Nominated | |
Best Costume Design | James Acheson | Won | |
Best Art Direction | Stuart Craig Gérard James | Won | |
American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards | Best Direction | Stephen Frears | Nominated |
Best Actress in a Leading Role | Glenn Close | Nominated | |
Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Michelle Pfeiffer | Won | |
Best Screenplay | Christopher Hampton | Won | |
Best Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot | Nominated | |
Best Original Film Score | George Fenton | Nominated | |
Best Costume Design | James Acheson | Nominated | |
Best Make Up Artist | Jean-Luc Russier | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Mick Audsley | Nominated | |
Best Production Design | Stuart Craig | Nominated | |
British Society of Cinematographers | Best Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot | Nominated |
César Awards | Best Foreign Film | Stephen Frears | Won |
London Critics Circle | Screenwriter of the Year | Christopher Hampton | Won |
Writers Guild of America | Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium | Christopher Hampton | Won |
Related adaptations[edit]
Almost 25 years after he played Valmont, John Malkovich directed a French-language version of Hampton's play in Paris, which ran at the Théâtre de l'Atelier.[21][22] In December 2012, the production was brought to Lansburgh Theatre by the Shakespeare Theatre Company for a limited run in Washington, D.C.[23]
References[edit]
- ^'Stephen Frears'. theauteurs.com. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
- ^'The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners'. oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-07-31.
- ^ abcdef'Dangerous Liaisons (1988) - Awards'. imdb.com. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^'Olivier Winners 1986 – The Official London Theatre Guide'. officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^'Dangerous Liaisons (1988) – Filming locations'. imdb.com. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^ ab'Dangerous Liaisons (1988) – Trivia'. imdb.com. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^BFI (2017-11-10). BFI Screen Talk: Annette Bening BFI London Film Festival 2017. YouTube.com. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
- ^'Being John Malkovich'. The Age. 26 April 2003. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ^'Right for the part'. The Daily Telegraph. 1 June 2003. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ^Akbar, Arifa (8 January 2011). 'John Malkovich: 'I don't need to be liked''. The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
- ^'Dangerous Liaisons (1988) – Soundtracks'. imdb.com. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^'Dangerous Liaisons Movie Reviews, Pictures'. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^ abc'Dangerous Liaisons reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^'DANGEROUS LIAISONS (1989) B+'. CinemaScore. Archived from the original on 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
- ^ abcHinson, Hal (January 13, 1989). ''Dangerous Liaisons''. washingtonpost.com.
- ^ abcEbert, Roger (January 13, 1989). 'Dangerous Liaisons'. rogerebert.suntimes.com.
- ^ abVariety Staff (1988-01-01). 'Dangerous Liaisons Review'. variety.com. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^ abcdCanby, Vincent (December 21, 1988). 'Passion in the Ancien Régime'. The New York Times.
- ^'Dangerous Liaisons'. Time Out London. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^Sheila Benson (21 December 1988). 'MOVIE REVIEWS : Dangerous Games for Power and Fame : 18th-Century Love Games Produce 'Dangerous Liaisons''. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
- ^'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' (in French). Théâtre de l'Atelier. Archived from the original on 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
- ^Trueman, Matt (3 February 2012). 'John Malkovich directs Dangerous Liaisons on stage'. The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
- ^Jones, Kenneth (November 6, 2012). 'John Malkovich's French-Language Staging of Les Liaisons Dangereuses Will Dawn in DC in December'. Playbill. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
External links[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Dangerous Liaisons |
- Dangerous Liaisons on IMDb
- Dangerous Liaisons at AllMovie
- Dangerous Liaisons at Rotten Tomatoes
- Dangerous Liaisons at Box Office Mojo
![Pdf Pdf](http://theatrefilmuaf.org/wp-content/plugins/vslider/timthumb.php?src=%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F01%2FVsliderFramer_0004_Layer-13.jpg&w=300&h=300&zc=1&q=80)
Author | Pierre Choderlos de Laclos |
---|---|
Original title | Les Liaisons dangereuses |
Translator | P. W. K. Stone |
Illustrator | Fragonard |
Country | France |
Language | French |
Genre | Epistolary novel, libertine novel |
Publisher | Durand Neveu |
Publication date | March 23, 1782 |
Media type | Print (Paperback) |
Pages | 400 |
OCLC | 52565525 |
Les Liaisons dangereuses (French pronunciation: [le ljɛ.zɔ̃ dɑ̃.ʒə.ʁøz]; Dangerous Liaisons) is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu from March 23, 1782.
It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two narcissistic rivals (and ex-lovers) who use seduction as a weapon to socially control and exploit others, all the while enjoying their cruel games and boasting about their manipulative talents. It has been seen as depicting the decadence of the French aristocracy shortly before the French Revolution, thereby exposing the perversions of the so-called Ancien Régime. However, it has also been described as an amoral story.
As an epistolary novel, the book is composed entirely of letters written by the various characters to each other. In particular, the letters between Valmont and the Marquise drive the plot, with those of their victims and other characters serving as contrasting figures to give the story its depth.
- 3Adaptations
- 3.1Live performance
- 3.2Recorded and printed media
Plot summary[edit]
The Vicomte de Valmont is determined to seduce the virtuous, married, and therefore inaccessible Madame de Tourvel, who is staying with Valmont's aunt while her husband is away on a court case. At the same time, the Marquise de Merteuil is determined to corrupt the young Cécile de Volanges, whose mother has only recently brought her out of a convent to be married—to Merteuil's previous lover, who has rudely discarded her. Cécile falls in love with the Chevalier Danceny (her young music tutor), and Merteuil and Valmont pretend to help the secret lovers in order to gain their trust and manipulate them later to benefit their own schemes.
Merteuil suggests that the Vicomte should seduce Cécile in order to enact her revenge on Cécile's future husband. Valmont refuses, finding the challenge too easy and preferring to devote himself to seducing Madame de Tourvel. Merteuil promises Valmont that if he seduces Madame de Tourvel and provides her with written proof of seduction, she will spend the night with him. He expects rapid success, but does not find it as easy as his many other conquests. During the course of his pursuit, Valmont discovers that Cécile's mother has written to Madame de Tourvel about his bad reputation. He avenges himself by seducing Cécile as Merteuil had suggested. Meanwhile, Merteuil takes Danceny as her lover.
By the time Valmont has succeeded in seducing Madame de Tourvel, he seems to have fallen in love with her. Jealous, Merteuil tricks him into deserting Madame de Tourvel—and reneges on her promise of spending the night with him. In retaliation, Valmont reveals that he prompted Danceny to reunite with Cécile, leaving Merteuil abandoned yet again. Merteuil declares war on Valmont and reveals to Danceny that Valmont has seduced Cécile.
![Dangerous liaisons 2012 movie Dangerous liaisons 2012 movie](http://www.notrecinema.com/images/filmsi/dangerous-liaisons_426103_30455.jpg)
Danceny and Valmont duel, and Valmont is fatally wounded. Before he dies, he gives Danceny the letters proving Merteuil's own involvement. These letters are sufficient to ruin her reputation so she flees to the countryside, where she contracts smallpox. Her face is left permanently scarred and she is rendered blind in one eye, so she loses her greatest asset: her beauty. But the innocent also suffer from the protagonist's schemes: desperate with guilt and grief, Madame de Tourvel succumbs to a fever and dies, while Cécile returns to the convent, dishonoured.
Literary significance and criticism[edit]
Les Liaisons dangereuses is celebrated for its exploration of seduction, revenge, and human malice, presented in the form of fictional letters collected and published by a fictional author.
The book was viewed as scandalous at the time of its initial publication, though the real intentions of the author remain unknown. It has been suggested that Laclos's intention was the same as that of his fictional author in the novel; to write a morality tale about the corrupt, squalid nobility of the Ancien Régime. However, this theory has been questioned on several grounds. In the first place, Laclos enjoyed the patronage of France's most senior aristocrat—Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. Secondly, all the characters in the story are aristocrats, including the virtuous heroines—Madame de Tourvel and Madame de Rosemonde. Finally, many ultra-royalist and conservative figures enjoyed the book, including Queen Marie Antoinette, which suggests that—despite its scandalous reputation—it was not viewed as a political work until the events of the French Revolution years later made it appear as such, with the benefit of hindsight.
Wayland Young notes that most critics have viewed the work as
... a sort of celebration, or at least a neutral statement, of libertinism... pernicious and damnable... Almost everyone who has written about it has noted how perfunctory are the wages of sin...'[1]
He argues, however, that
... the mere analysis of libertinism… carried out by a novelist with such a prodigious command of his medium... was enough to condemn it and play a large part in its destruction.[1]
In a well-known essay on Les Liaisons dangereuses, which has often been used as a preface to French editions of the novel, André Malraux argues that, despite its debt to the libertine tradition, Les Liaisons dangereuses is more significant as the introduction of a new kind of character in French fiction. Malraux writes that the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont are creations 'without precedent'; they are 'the first [in European literature] whose acts are determined by an ideology'.[2]
In a manner, Les Liaisons dangereuses is a literary counterthesis to the epistolary novel as exemplified by Richardson's Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. Whereas Richardson uses the technique of letters to provide the reader with a feeling of knowing the protagonist's true and intimate thoughts, Laclos' use of this literary device is exactly opposite: by presenting the reader with grossly conflicting views from the same writer when addressing different recipients, it is left to the reader to reconcile story, intentions and characters behind the letters. The use of duplicitous characters with one virtuous face can be viewed as a complex criticism of the immensely popular naïve moral epistolary novel.
Adaptations[edit]
The novel has been adapted into various media, under many different names.
Live performance[edit]
Stage[edit]
- German playwright Heiner Müller adapted the story in 1981, entitling it Quartet.
- Christopher Hampton's 1985 adaptation, Les liaisons dangereuses, opened in London's West End and in 1987 crossed over to Broadway with Alan Rickman originating the role of the Vicomte de Valmont, Lindsay Duncan as Marquise de Merteuil, and Juliet Stevenson as Madame de Tourvel. In 2012 the Sydney Theatre Company staged Hampton's adaptation with Hugo Weaving as the Vicomte, and Pamela Rabe as the Marquise.
- In 2012, John Malkovich directed a version of the play with Paris' Théâtre de l'Atelier.
- Las Relaciones Peligrosas, a musical adaptation penned by Marcelo Caballero (book and lyrics) and Steban Ghorghor (music), had a world premiere in 2012 at El Cubo Theatre, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- In 2015, Josie Rourke directed a revival of the Christopher Hampton version at the Donmar Warehouse in London with Dominic West as the Vicomte and Janet McTeer as the Marquise. The production was broadcast on National Theatre Live and later ran at the Booth Theatre on Broadway with Liev Schreiber replacing West.[3]
Opera[edit]
- The Dangerous Liaisons (1994), by the American composer Conrad Susa, commissioned by the San Francisco Opera. The opera was also aired on television in 1994 under the direction of Gary Halvorson and starring Frederica von Stade, Thomas Hampson, and Renée Fleming
- Les liaisons dangereuses (1996) by Belgian composer Piet Swerts
- Quartett (2011), by Italian composer Luca Francesconi, commissioned by La Scala
Ballet[edit]
- David Nixon, currently artistic director of Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, choreographed a ballet version of Dangerous Liaisons, with music by Vivaldi. It was first performed as part of a mixed program entitled 'David Nixon's Liaisons' at the Hebbel Theatre, Berlin in 1990. He subsequently reworked it for BalletMet, with the premier taking place in the Ohio Theatre on May 2, 1996.
- In 2003, English National Ballet commissioned choreographer Michael Corder and composer Julian Philips to create a new full-length ballet based on Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The project was cancelled before it came to the stage, and the full score has yet to be premiered. Julian Philips later adapted a section of the ballet as his chamber orchestral work Divertissement (2004).
- In 2008, the Alberta Ballet performed a ballet version of Dangerous Liaisons.[4]
- In 2014, the CzechNational Theatre Ballet produced Valmont, choreographer Libor Vaculík's adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, featuring music by Schubert and Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks.[5]
- In 2019, Queensland Ballet premiered their new production of Dangerous Liaisons[6], choreographed by Liam Scarlett and featuring music by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Recorded and printed media[edit]
Film[edit]
- Les Liaisons dangereuses (1959), directed by Roger Vadim and starring Jeanne Moreau, Gérard Philipe and Annette Vadim. In this version, Vadim updated the story to a late-1950s French bourgeois milieu.
- Une femme fidèle (1976). A loose retelling also directed by Roger Vadim and set in 1870.
- Dangerous Liaisons (1988), directed by Stephen Frears and starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman (based on Hampton's play). This version uses 18th-century costumes and dazzling shots of the Île-de-France region around Paris. It was nominated for multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture.
- Valmont (1989), directed by Miloš Forman and starring Annette Bening, Colin Firth and Meg Tilly.
- Cruel Intentions (1999), directed by Roger Kumble and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Selma Blair and Reese Witherspoon relocates the story to modern-day New York and is set amongst upper-class high school teens. This film spawned both a prequel in 2001 and a sequel in 2004.
- Untold Scandal (2003), directed by E J-yong and starring Lee Mi-sook, Jeon Do-yeon and Bae Yong-joon, transposes the setting to 18th-century Korea.
- Dangerous Liaisons (2012), directed by Hur Jin-ho and starring Zhang Ziyi, Jang Dong-gun and Cecilia Cheung, is set in 1930s China.
Books[edit]
- A Factory of Cunning (2005), a fictionalized sequel by Philippa Stockley. It tells how the Marquise de Merteuil faked her death of smallpox and escaped to England with a new identity.
- Dangerous Tweets (2013), the entire novel adapted into tweets (one tweet per letter) in English as an iBook.
- Unforgivable Love (2017), a novel by Sophfronia Scott, and a retelling of the story set in 1940s Harlem with an African-American cast of characters.
Television[edit]
- Les Liaisons dangereuses (1980), a French television film directed by Claude Barma, starring Claude Degliame, Jean-Pierre Bouvier and Maïa Simon.
- Les Liaisons dangereuses (2003), a French television miniseries directed by Josée Dayan and starring Catherine Deneuve, Rupert Everett, Leelee Sobieski and Nastassja Kinski, which relocates the story to the 1960s.
- Ligações Perigosas (2016), a Brazilian television miniseries starring Patrícia Pillar, Selton Mello and Marjorie Estiano. It sets the story in the 1920s and includes many aspects not previous presented in other adaptions.
- The Great Seducer (2018), a South Korean television series starring Woo Do-hwan, Joy, Moon Ga-young and Kim Min-jae. It sets the story in the 2010s and is said to be a loose remake.
Radio[edit]
- An eight-part adaptation of the novel was broadcast as BBC Radio 4's 'Woman's Hour Drama' (20–30 July 1992). It starred Juliet Stevenson, Samuel West, Melinda Walker, Diana Rigg, and Roger Allam.
- A two-part presentation of Christopher Hampton's play by BBC World Service in 1998. It starred Ciarán Hinds (Vicomte de Valmont), Lindsay Duncan (Marquise de Merteuil), and Emma Fielding (Mme. de Tourvel). It won the Grand Award for Best Entertainment Program at the New York Radio Festival.
- Les Liaisons Dangereuses: an Audible Original is a 2016 radio play starring the cast of that year’s London Stage production.
References[edit]
French Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Les Liaisons Dangereuses. |
- ^ abYoung, 1966, p. 246
- ^See the discussion in Derek Allan, 'Les Liaisons dangereuses through the eyes of André Malraux', Journal of European Studies. Vol. 42 (2), June 2012Archived 2015-09-15 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^Brantley, Ben (30 October 2016). 'Review: 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' Uses Sex as a Weapon'. The New York Times. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
- ^'Dangerous Liaisons'. albertaballet.com. Alberta Ballet. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16.
- ^National Theatre Ballet (Prague), ValmontArchived 2016-07-01 at the Wayback Machine, 2014.
- ^https://www.queenslandballet.com.au/on-stage/2019/dangerous-liaisons
Sources[edit]
Dangerous Liaisons Novel Pdf
- Young, Wayland (1964). Eros Denied: Sex in Western Society. New York: Grove. ISBN1-125-40416-7.
- Diaconoff, Suellen (1979). Eros and power in Les Liaisons dangereuses: a study in evil. Geneva: Droz.
Dangerous Liaisons Pdf English
External links[edit]
Dangerous Liaisons Play Script Pdf
- Dangerous Connections public domain audiobook at LibriVox