dangerous liaisons

Director: stephen frears

Actor: glenn close,john malkovich,michelle pfeiffer,swoosie kurtz

Data Published: Sat Dec 31 1988

Genres: Drama,Romance

Key Words: seduction,emotional abuse,france,sexual manipulation,nipples

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094947/

WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangerous_Liaisons

Description: Dangerous Liaisons is a movie starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer. A scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.

Plot: 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. She 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, offering him her own sexual favors as a reward. Valmont declines, as he is plotting a seduction of his own: Madame de Tourvel, the chaste, devoutly religious wife of a member of Parliament, currently a houseguest of Valmont's aunt, Madame de Rosemonde. Merteuil is amused and incredulous. Never one to refuse a challenge, Valmont modifies the proposal: If he succeeds in sleeping with Tourvel, Merteuil must sleep with him as well. Merteuil accepts, on the condition that he furnish written proof of the liaison. 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 Madame de Volanges, Cécile's mother and Merteuil's cousin, warning Tourvel that Valmont is a nefarious and untrustworthy individual. On reading this, Valmont resolves to seduce Cécile after all, as revenge for her mother's accurate denunciation of him. Meanwhile, in Paris, Cécile meets the charming Chevalier Raphael Danceny, who becomes Cécile's music teacher. Slowly, with coaxing from Merteuil (who knows that Danceny, a poor commoner, can never qualify as a bona fide suitor), they fall in love. After gaining access to Cécile's bedchamber on a false pretense, Valmont 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 her. Cécile, naively assuming that Merteuil has her best interests at heart, confides in her. Merteuil advises Cécile to welcome Valmont's advances; young women should take advantage of all the lovers they can acquire, she says, 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". Cécile, meanwhile, after a night in Valmont's bed, miscarries his child. Tourvel, overwhelmed with grief and shame, retreats to a monastery where her health deteriorates rapidly. Valmont warns Danceny of Merteuil's ulterior motives in seducing him; Merteuil 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; 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 city in disgrace. Cécile, guilt-ridden, returns to the convent to become a nun.