Dangerous Liaisons

I love John Malkovich. Period. The very first time I started thinking what an incredible actor he is was when I saw him as the dangerous Vicomte de Valmont in Dangerous Liaisons. That intriguing character was the perfect Malkovich and ever since, that is the ultimate image I have in my mind of him.


Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 movie by Stephen Frears starring John Malkovich (Vicomte de Valmont), Glenn Close (Marquise de Merteuil), Michelle Pfeiffer (Madame de Tourvel), Uma Thurman (Cécile de Volanges) and a very young and naive Keanu Reeves (Chevalier Danceny) in his usual extremely untalented manner. The movie is an adaptation of a play by Christopher Hampton which was based on the classic eighteenth century novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. It won three academy awards in 1989 out of seven nominations, and it has been referred to in various books and movies, becoming the ultimate version though many remakes have followed later.


The wicked Marquise de Merteuil calls her ex-lover and her ultimate match in immorality, Vicomte de Valmont, to ask him to seduce Cécile de Volanges in order to take revenge from one of her past lovers who is about to marry this young virgin newly out of monastery. Famous for his immoral character, Valmont does not agree with this too easy task, for he has already found his next challenge at the time; the virtuous Madame de Tourvel. However, when he later finds out that Cécile's mother who happens to be one of Valmont's past lovers has warned Madame de Tourvel about him, he accepts the offer.


While Madame de Tourvel has been staying in his aunt's house, Valmont tries everything from reading her letters to showing himself as a virtuous person and in the meantime he secretly seduces Cécile. Satisfied with this seduction, Marquise de Merteuil joins in Valmont's plans for Madame de Tourvel, making it a challenge for him in the end of which he will receive the prize of spending one night with her. After a long and aching resistance, Madame de Tourvel finally gives in and falls in love with Valmont, becoming his lover. Unaware of the fact that he too fell in love with her and thinking of his reputation as only the seducer, Valmont breaks up with her all of a sudden but quite reluctantly, however, when Marquise de Merteuil realizes Valmont's feelings for Madame de Tourvel, the whole challenge turns out to be a war between Marquise and Valmont, as a result of her secret jealousy.


Dangerous Liaisons is the perfect depiction of the virtues and secret relations of the aristocracy of that time. With the exception of Valmont's aunt who is very old to get into those intrigues, everyone has a secret or a second self behind the mask of morality - from the young Cécile - Danceny, to the noble Marquise - Vicomte or the dutiful wife Madame de Tourvel. It shows what a tangle the whole network of intimacy and relationships is, with the young or the ever innocent being drawn to seductions by the masters of this puzzling almost a game, ending up sick or dead from pain of a broken heart and regret, as Madame de Tourvel, or creating a whole new puzzle of games themselves as a master-to-be, as in Cécile's case. In that world, there is no room for innocence or pity, and if one passes the thin line between the cold-hearted game and real love, is ruined and most probably, will pay it with his life.


The movie is a classic of the classic. Do not take it as if it is a soap opera with those so well known intrigues; this is a world of intellects, nobles and artists, it is the history of men of quite a long time, even of today. The movie itself may be that of a period cinema, however the dangerous liaisons it depicts are timeless. Pay attention to the famous scene, 'It is beyond my control'; the best and the most wicked break-up of all times.