Dangerous Liaisons (1988) Lust, seduction and revenge

Dangerous Liaisons (1988) / Warner Bros. Pictures

Directed By: Stephen Frears

Starring:  Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Keanu Reeves, Swoosie Kurtz, & Uma Thurman

 

Costumes Designed By: James Acheson

Original Music: George Fenton

Taglines:

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

 

~ Nominated for 7 Academy Awards.

~ The motion picture was based on the play: "Le liaisons dangereuses" which was based on a 18th Century novel "Les Liaisons dangereuses."   

                                                    Acardemy Awards (1989)

Year	Result	Award	Category/Recipient(s)
1989	Won	Oscar	Best Art Direction-Set Decoration - Stuart Craig & Gérard James
			Best Costume Design - James Acheson
			Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Christopher Hampton
	Nominated	Oscar	Best Actress in a Leading Role - Glenn Close
			Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Michelle Pfeiffer
			Best Music, Original Score - George Fenton
			Best Picture - Norma Heyman & Hank Moonjean

 

Plot:

Set in the mid 18th century France we meet the aristocracy who are on the outside the lovely and well groomed of all people. The rules and eiquette are carefully followed but behind closed doors of their fine manor's rests the lies, deception, ruthelessly playing with others as they were chess pieces. Marquise de Merteuil (Close) is the most rutheless woman who does the heavy handed games while looking lovely and fitting right into the upper class society in which she belongs.

The Marquise decides to speak with her often partner in the bedroom the also wicked Viconte de Valmont (Malkovich). Both together decide to hatch a plan of revenge against the Marquise's recent loversand his new finacee, Cécile de Volanges (Thurman). Cécile is the Madame de Volanges (Kurtz) daughter and is cousin's with the Marquise. The Marquise wants to plan with the Viconte to get the young lady seduced and ruined which makes them both very happy to see the drama to unfold.  

While thr Viconte agrees to the scheme he is at the same time trying to seduce the virtuous Madame de Tourvel (Pfeiffer) whom is married though her husband is currently abroad. The Madame de Tourvel is staying in the meantime with her aunt. Madame de Volanges knows that the Vinconte is up to wrong doing with the Madame de Tourvel and warns her of his games so he moves his sites to Cécile de Volanges. What we then discover is that Cécile has been taking music lessons at home from a very young and dashing Chevalier Raphael Danceny (Reeves) whom the both have started to fall in love. The one issue is that the Chevalier is poor with no social standing as Cécile so their love can never go any further into marriage since the Madame de Volanges would object to the courtship.

Horrible games and deception occur that are being orchestrated by Valmont and the Marquise. The people that they are deceiving are suffering and potentially it looks like even the puppet masters of the games are potentially going to suffer conequences. The beautiful music, costumes, scenery  and actors make this for a true masterpiece of a film.