A scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.A scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.A scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.
- Won 3 Oscars
- 21 wins & 23 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhen the novel "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Choderlos de Laclos was first published in 1782, it was considered so scandalous that when Queen Marie Antoinette commissioned a copy for her personal library, she had to have it bound in a blank cover so that no one would recognize the author's name or title.
- GoofsWhen Madame de Tourvel is about to surrender to Valmont, a tear comes out of her right eye; in the next shot, her eye is still dry.
- Quotes
Marquise de Merteuil: When I came out into society, I was fifteen. I already knew that the role I was condemned to, namely to keep quiet and do what I was told, gave me the perfect opportunity to listen and observe. Not to what people told me, which naturally was of no interest, but to whatever it was they were trying to hide. I practiced detachment. I learned how to look cheerful while, under the table, I stuck a fork into the back of my hand. I became a virtuoso of deceit. It wasn't pleasure I was after, it was knowledge. I consulted the strictest moralists to learn how to appear, philosophers to find out what to think, and novelists to see what I could get away with. And in the end, I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die.
- SoundtracksLa Cetra Op. 9, Concerto No. 9
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Glenn Close plays Mertuil, who, with Malkovich's Valmont, manipulate and seduce others for entertainment. In comes Michelle Pfieffer's beautiful Madame de Tourvel, whose husband is off at a trial (or something to that extent). Valmont realizes what a capture it would be if he were to succeed in seducing her, and making her forget all her vows of fidelity. Uma Thurman also has a smaller part, one of those who was seduced by Valmont.
Uma Thurman is great, Michelle Pfieffer is exquisite, but it's Close and Malkovich who dominate the screen. Close's mercilessly cunning character has most of the great lines. When asked if betrayal is her favourite word, she replies, "No. Cruelty is. It's much more nobler, don't you think". Malkovich plays a Machiavellian character you lies and cheats to get what he wants
The climax is thrilling, and the finale is incredible. Glenn Close's performance was certainly worthy of the Oscar nomination, and maybe the award. It is her best performance.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Gefährliche Liebschaften
- Filming locations
- Château de Champs-sur-Marne, 31 rue de Paris, Champs-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France(Madame de Rosemonde's palace: interiors and park, Merteuil's interiors, staircase, Hall of mirrors)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $14,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $34,670,720
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $84,451
- Dec 26, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $34,670,720
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1