Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

A scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.

Director:

Stephen Frears

Writers:

Christopher Hampton (play), Choderlos de Laclos (novel)

Stars:

Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer

Won 3 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Glenn Close	...	Marquise de Merteuil
John Malkovich	...	Vicomte de Valmont
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Madame de Tourvel
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Madame de Volanges
Keanu Reeves	...	Chevalier Danceny
Mildred Natwick	...	Madame de Rosemonde
Uma Thurman	...	Cécile de Volanges
Peter Capaldi	...	Azolan
Joe Sheridan	...	Georges
Valerie Gogan	...	Julie
Laura Benson	...	Emilie
Joanna Pavlis	...	Adèle
Nicholas Hawtrey	...	Major-domo
Paulo Abel Do Nascimento	...	Castrato
François Lalande	...	Curé

Storyline

In 18th century France, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont play a dangerous game of seduction. Valmont is someone who measures success by the number of his conquests and Merteuil challenges him to seduce the soon to be married Cecile de Volanges and provide proof in writing of his success. His reward for doing so will be to spend the night with Merteuil. He has little difficulty seducing Cecile but what he really wants is to seduce Madame de Tourvel. When Merteuil learns that he has actually fallen in love with her, she refuses to let him claim his reward for seducing Cecile. Death soon follows.

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Plot Keywords:

seduction | emotional abuse | france | sexual manipulation | female frontal nudity | 

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Taglines:

Lust. Seduction. Revenge. The Game As You've Never Seen It Played Before.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The red heeled shoes seen at the beginning of the film are accurate to the fashion of this period of French history. Supposedly, King Louis XIV's brother accidentally stained his heels with blood one night attending a ball at a slaughterhouse. King Louis, taken with the aesthetic, ordered the royal shoemaker to imitate the look and paint all his heels and soles red and it quickly became a popular fashion statement.

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Goofs

In Madame de Rosemonde's garden, Valmont sits behind Madame de Tourvel and asks "Why are you so angry with me?" The camera then cuts to a close-up of Tourvel's face, and Valmont is sitting much closer behind her.

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Quotes

Vicomte de Valmont: Be careful of the Marquise de Merteuil.
Chevalier Danceny: You must permit me to treat with skepticism anything you have to say about her.
Vicomte de Valmont: Nevertheless, I must tell you in this affair, we are both her creatures, as I believe her letters to me will prove. When you have read them, you may decide to circulate them.

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Connections

Referenced in The Best Years: Dangerous Liaisons (2009)

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Soundtracks

Concerto in A minor for Four Harpsichords, BWV 1065
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

User Reviews

In the game of seduction there is one rule - Never fell in love

Glenn Close, John Malcovich and Michelle Phieffer head an all star cast in this lavish tale of Sex, Deception and delicious wickedness. Beneath the heaving corsets of 18th century France there lies a world of lust and deportuary which this film reveals.

Glenn Close instructs her deviously seductive lover, John Malcovich to seduce the innocent Madame de Tourvelle (Michelle Pheiffer) a women renound for her religious beliefs, if he succeeds then she shall give him her body in one night of lust, but, one obstacle arises that she did not count on, the pair fall in love - thus beginning a battle of witts and seduction.

This is a must see movie for everyone as is its counterpart - Cruel Intentions, a modern reworking of Dangerous Liaisons

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dangerous Liaisons

Filming Locations:

Hôtel de Sully, Paris 4, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$84,451, 26 December 1988

Gross USA:

$34,670,720

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,670,720

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Film Entertainment, NFH Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1