Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
German title Dangerous romances
Original title Dangerous liaisons
Country of production UK , USA
original language English
Publishing year 1988
length 119 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Stephen Frears
script Christopher Hampton
production Norma Heyman ,
Hank Moonjean
music George Fenton
camera Philippe Rousselot
cut Mick Audsley
occupation
synchronization

Dangerous Liaisons (Original title: Dangerous Liaisons ) is a British - American film drama from 1988. Directed by Stephen Frears are Glenn Close , John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer seen in the lead roles. The stage play Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton , which in turn is based on the eponymous epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos , served as a template for the film about fateful affairs and intrigues of the French nobility during the 18th century . The film premiered on December 16, 1988 and was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1989, three of which it won for the script, the costumes and the production design.

action

France at the time of the Rococo : The widowed Marquise de Merteuil has been left by her lover Bastide and wants to take revenge on him for it. On her behalf, the Viscount de Valmont, with whom she once had a relationship, is supposed to seduce Bastide's virgin bride, Cécile de Volanges, before the wedding night. Valmont, to whom his reputation as a great seducer means more than anything else, however, finds the task too easy, especially since he already has a different one in mind. He has made it his goal to seduce the virtuous Madame de Tourvel, known for her strict morals, whose husband is currently presiding over a trial in distant Burgundy . Should Valmont manage to conquer Madame de Tourvel and present written evidence, the Marquise wants to spend a night with Valmont.

Madame de Tourvel, who is currently staying with Valmont's aunt Madame de Rosemonde, has already heard of Valmont's debauchery and is accordingly reserved when he pays his aunt a visit. To find out who warned Madame de Tourvel about him, Valmont instructs his valet Azolan to get Madame de Tourvel's letters for him. This in turn hires a spy on Valmont when he - aware of his persecutor - pays the debts of a poor man in a village and distributes alms to the needy. Madame de Rosemonde is delighted with her nephew's generosity and Madame de Tourvel is also positively surprised. But when he confesses his love for her and presses her to give in to his wooing, Madame de Tourvel asks him to leave. Before he leaves his aunt's residence, he learns that it was a certain Madame de Volanges who informed Madame de Tourvel about his vicious lifestyle.

When Madame de Volanges' daughter Cécile, who lived in the monastery until recently and is now supposed to marry the much older Bastide, falls in love with her harp teacher, the Chevalier Danceny, the inexperienced girl asks the marquise for advice. The marquise, who has mastered the art of pretending since her youth, agrees to help Cécile with her correspondence with Danceny, but then reveals the hiding place of the letters to Madame de Volanges and says that a stay in the country far from Danceny is that would be best for Cécile. Madame de Volanges and her daughter finally find themselves at Madame de Rosemonde, where Valmont arrives again. One night Valmont comes to Cécile with a copy of Cécile's room key and seduces her. Desperate, Cécile wrote a letter to the marquise, who advised her to take Valmont's instruction in the art of love.

However, Valmont's main focus remains on Madame de Tourvel. But all she can offer him is friendship. On a rainy evening, he harassed her in her room one more time. She begs him to leave her for the sake of her peace of mind, but then lets him carry her to her bed. So close to his destination, Valmont suddenly feels sorry for her and leaves. Madame de Tourvel, who admits that she has fallen in love with him, leaves that same night. The marquise, who in the meantime has taken Danceny as a lover, mocks Valmont for not having used his chance with Madame de Tourvel. When Valmont visits Madame de Tourvel and tells her that he will kill himself if he can't have her, she gives up her resistance and spends the night with him. Valmont immediately reports his triumph to the Marquise, but she demands written evidence. When he shows her a letter from Madame de Tourvel, the jealous marquise refuses to keep her promise and instead says that he is making a fool of himself with his obvious infatuation with this one woman and is putting his reputation at risk. Because he is ashamed of himself for his feelings, Valmont goes to Madame de Tourvel and tells her that he is bored with her and that he has cheated on her with other women.

The marquise is delighted to have broken the heart of Valmont, the only woman he has ever truly loved. She also lets Danceny know that Valmont seduced Cécile. With his thoughts on Madame de Tourvel, Valmont deliberately falls into his sword in the following duel with Danceny. Lying dying, he warns Danceny of the marquise and asks him to circulate letters that expose the true character of the marquise and to tell Madame de Tourvel that she was the only true happiness in his life and that he is sorry for hurting her like that. Madame de Tourvel, who had been unable to recover from her separation, dies shortly after Danceny's visit to her sickbed of a broken heart. The marquise is devastated by Valmont's death. When she went to the opera anyway, she was booed by the audience. She is forced to leave her box again and then removes her make-up in front of her mirror.

background

The Château de Maisons , a location of the film

Christopher Hampton's play Les Liaisons Dangereuses based on Choderlos de Laclos ' eponymous novel of the same name was first performed in 1985 by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon and later successfully staged with Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman in London and on Broadway . For Stephen Frears ' film adaptation, after hits like My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) and do Sammy and Rosie it (1987) whose Hollywood debut should be, Hampton also wrote the screenplay. For the production design was Stuart Craig , Gavin Bocquet , Gérard Viard and Gérard James responsible. James Acheson created the costumes .

When casting the roles, director Stephen Frears initially thought of British actors like Daniel Day-Lewis , but then opted for well-known American actors who, in his opinion - fitting for his lively vision of the film - were less reserved and also in the United States and Europe had more box office traction.

The scene of the duel in front of Maisons-Laffitte Castle

The shooting took place from the end of May to August 1988 in France near Paris . A number of scenes were created in Champs-sur-Marne Castle , which was once inhabited by Madame de Pompadour . The Montansier Theater in Versailles , built in the 18th century, served as the location for the opera performances, in which the Marquise de Merteuil is more interested in the audience than in the performances on stage . At Valmont's residence, they decided on the Château de Neuville in Gambais , which dates from the 16th century.

A main location was Maisons-Laffitte Castle , which can be seen in the film as the residence of Madame de Rosemonde and where the duel between Valmont and Danceny was staged below a staircase. The 14th-century Abbaye du Moncel in Pontpoint was another location in the film as the monastery where Cécile grew up. The scenes in the village where Valmont is looking after the needy were also filmed near the Abbaye. Further interior shots were taken in the Château de Lésigny in Lésigny , in the Château du Saussay in Ballancourt-sur-Essonne as well as in the Vincennes and Guermantes castles .

Film music

In addition to the music composed for the film by George Fenton , compositions from the Baroque period can also be heard:

As at the beginning of the film, when Fenton's fast-paced main theme in minor with strings and trumpets accompanies the opening credits and Vivaldi can be heard immediately afterwards during the morning toilet of the Marquise and the Viscount, the transitions between Fenton's music and the baroque works are fluid. The baroque pieces of music , played with the characteristic harpsichord , and Fenton's classically designed compositions enter into a musical discourse in which both the time in which the plot takes place is conveyed and the timelessness of the material is suggested. The music was recorded in London's Abbey Road Studios . Fenton also appeared as an arranger and conductor.

reception

publication

Dangerous Liaisons premiered on December 16, 1988 in the United States , where the film was subsequently able to gross again at around $ 34.7 million, more than double its budget of $ 14 million. In Germany, the film adaptation was shown for the first time on February 10, 1989 at the Berlinale outside of the competition and was released in cinemas on April 13, 1989. The critics especially praised Glenn Close for her performance. At the awards of the Oscars and BAFTAs , however, she was unable to prevail against the competition in the Best Actress category. With a total of seven Oscar nominations for the film which was Production Design , the costumes and the screenplay award. Hampton's script was also awarded the BAFTA, which Michelle Pfeiffer also won for Best Supporting Actress.

Laclos' literary model was also filmed by Miloš Forman in 1988 under the title Valmont with Colin Firth , Annette Bening and Meg Tilly . However, this version was overshadowed by its predecessor right from the start and came up short with the critics in direct comparison. In Eiskalte Engel , a modern adaptation of the material from 1999, Swoosie Kurtz also played the role of Dr. Greenbaum, who corresponds to her figure of Madame de Volanges in Dangerous Liaisons .

The soundtrack of Dangerous Liaisons was released in 1997 by Virgin on a CD with 19 compositions. The film was released on DVD in Germany in 2002 . In 2012, it was released on Blu-ray .

Reviews

" Dangerous Liaisons is a compelling and enticing film, but not irresistible," wrote Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times . Variety described the film as a "precise study of sex as a means of manipulative power games", which, however, takes too long "to get going". Glenn Close is “excellently cast as a proud, insidious Merteuil”, the “real problem” lies with Malkovich's Valmont. He lacks "the devilishly seductive charm that a Valmont needs to make his conquests". Vincent Canby of the New York Times found that "nothing Glenn Close has done before" comes close to "her multilayered and comedically delicate portrayal of the Marquise". Valmont seems to be "not a suitable role for Malkovich", but he is still "unexpectedly good". Michelle Pfeiffer is "another positive surprise" in the role of the chaste wife.

For the Lexicon of International Film , Stephen Frears' film was a "formally brilliant implementation of the subject". This is "elegant, amusing and sometimes extravagant in the description of the splendid salons of aristocratic society", but "lacks the critical contemporary reference that was so striking in the director's earlier films". According to Annette Meyhöfer from Spiegel , Frears staged “perfect rococo, calculation and sensation” with his adaptation. The result is "masterful". The “modernity of the film” is due to the “art of its actors”. John Malkovich is "virile, vulgar, obscene, an ideal miscast, a macho, not a Don Juan, and therefore irresistible". However, all actors have surpassed Glenn Close with their performance. Cinema described dangerous love affairs as a “congenially cynical adaptation of the French letter novel by Choderlos de Laclos”, which could come up with a “dream cast”.

Awards

Nominated for both an Oscar and a BAFTA: Glenn Close (2006)
Nominated for an Oscar and awarded a BAFTA: Michelle Pfeiffer (1990)
Oscar 1989

Won:

Nominated:

British Academy Film Awards 1990

Won:

Nominated:

American Society of Cinematographers
  • Nominated in the category Best Cinematography in a feature film (Philippe Rousselot)
Bodil
  • Best non-European film
Boston Society of Film Critics Award
British Society of Cinematographers
  • Nominated for the Best Cinematography Award (Philippe Rousselot)
César
Chicago Film Critics Association Award
David di Donatello
  • Nominated in the Best Foreign Actor category (John Malkovich)
Fotogramas de Plata
  • Best foreign film
Guild film award
  • Best foreign film
Golden camera
  • Best International Actress (Glenn Close)
Joseph Plateau Prize
  • Best foreign film
London Critics' Circle Film Award
Nastro d'Argento
National Board of Review Award
National Society of Film Critics Award
  • Nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Michelle Pfeiffer)
  • Nominated in the category Best Cinematography (Philippe Rousselot)
Sant Jordi Prize
  • Best foreign film
  • Best Foreign Actor (John Malkovich)
  • Audience Award in the Best Foreign Film category
Writers Guild of America Award
  • Best Adapted Screenplay (Christopher Hampton)

German version

The German dubbed version was created at Interopa Film in Berlin based on the dialogue book by Horst Balzer , who also directed the dialogue.

role actor Voice actor
Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil Glenn Close Hallgard Bruckhaus
Viscount Sébastien de Valmont John Malkovich Joachim Tennstedt
Madame Marie de Tourvel Michelle Pfeiffer Katja Nottke
Madame de Volanges Swoosie Kurtz Dagmar Altrichter
Chevalier Raphael Danceny Keanu Reeves Torsten Sense
Madame de Rosemonde Mildred Natwick Tilly Lauenstein
Cecile de Volanges Uma Thurman Petra Barthel
Azolane Peter Capaldi Hans-Jürgen Dittberner
Emilie Laura Benson Alexandra Lange

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Les Liaisons Dangereuses ( Memento October 6, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) in the Internet Broadway Database
  2. ^ Wheeler W. Dixon: Re-Viewing British Cinema, 1900-1992: Essays and Interviews . State University of New York Press, 1994, ISBN 0-7914-1861-8 , p. 232.
  3. ↑ cf. movie-locations.com
  4. ^ Laurence E. MacDonald: The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History . Ardsley House, 1998, ISBN 1-880157-56-X , p. 326.
  5. ^ Royal S. Brown: Film Musings: A Selected Anthology from Fanfare Magazine . Scarecrow Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-8108-5856-5 , p. 61.
  6. ↑ cf. boxofficemojo.com
  7. ↑ Mark Monahan: Must-have movies: Dangerous Liaisons . In: The Daily Telegraph . December 17, 2004.
  8. ↑ cf. berlinale.de
  9. ↑ Janet Maslin , 'Valmont,' New Incarnation Of 'Liaisons Dangereuses' . In: The New York Times , November 17, 1989.
  10. ↑ Hellmuth Karasek : cheese in vine leaves . In: Der Spiegel , December 18, 1989.
  11. ↑ " Dangerous Liaisons is an absorbing and seductive movie, but not a compelling one." Roger Ebert : Dangerous Liaisons . In: Chicago Sun-Times , January 13, 1989.
  12. ↑ “This incisive study of sex as an arena for manipulative power games takes too long to catch fire […]. Glenn Close is admirably cast as the proud, malevolent Merteuil while the real problem is Malkovich's Valmont. [...] he lacks the devilish charm and seductiveness one senses Valmont would need to carry off all his conquests. " See Dangerous Liaisons . In: Variety , 1988.
  13. ↑ “Nothing Miss Close has done on the screen before approaches the richness and comic delicacy of her work as the Marquise. [...] Valmont would not seem to be a role that Mr. Malkovich was born to play. […] Yet […] he is unexpectedly fine. […] Michelle Pfeiffer […] is another happy surprise as the pure wife. ” Vincent Canby : Passion in the Ancien Regime: 'Dangerous Liaisons' on Screen . In: The New York Times , December 21, 1988.
  14. ^ Dangerous liaisons. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed February 19, 2020 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  15. ↑ Annette Meyhöfer : Geometry of seduction . In: Spiegel , April 10, 1989.
  16. ↑ cf. cinema.de ( Memento from May 5, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
  17. ^ Dangerous liaisons. In: synchronkartei.de. German dubbing files , accessed on April 8, 2020 .