“Valmont ”is a film drama based on the French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos“ Les Liaisons Dangereuses ”(1782). The film was directed by Milos Forman in 1989, under a series of rather indifferent critics. However, others considered this film as one of the films with a better screenplay than its most direct competition on the billboard "Dangerous Friendships" by Stephen Frears. Valmont, 18th century France What is the price for playing with the feelings of others? The perverse Marchioness of Merteuil feels despised after the abandonment of Gercourt, her last lover. Eager to materialize her revenge, he turns to her old and heartless lover, the Viscount de Valmont. A seducer par excellence whose mission is to trick Cecilia, Gercourt's fiancée. He thus begins a game of seduction with her to avoid losing the favors of the Marchioness. However, he realizes that he is truly in love with Madame de Tourvel. A religious lady married to an old judge. It is at this moment, when the evil Marquise de Merteuil's plans change. Valmont must seduce the modest wife of the judge. Otherwise, the viscount will have to go to a monastery. This complicated game of intrigue finally ends up turning against the two instigators of him. The Marchioness then takes advantage of Cecilia's childlike love for a young musician, Dacy. But again, her plans turn against her. Dacy does not want the young woman as a mere lover, he wants her as his wife. On the other hand, Valmont is finally unable to accept Madame de Tourvel's love after having conquered her and abandons her. He returns to the Marchioness and asks for her hand. She cruelly rejects him thus initiating a new circle of revenge in which everyone loses and no one wins.
Reflections on "Valmont" The film is a pure reflection by its author about French society at the end of the 18th century and his path towards a freedom that passes through the suppression of values, loneliness and even death. Forman, he doesn't really portray his two leads as two soulless characters. Rather as vulnerable beings with tragicomic disputes that surround them. The climax of the film is precisely the sarcastic and deceptive conversations of the protagonists in their struggle to get what they want. An example of human vanity very typical of the upper class of the time. Despite the fact that over the years the critics recognized the mastery of this film. "Valmont" paid the consequences of having been preceded by the premiere of another adaptation of the same novel "Dangerous friendships" by Stephen Frears. Curiosities you did not know about "Valmont", the movie Forman's film script does not include many details that do appear in the novel. For example, in the novel adaptation, Valmont rapes young Cecilia who is subsequently forced to have an abortion. The Czech director ignored this detail and chose to capture how Cecilia voluntarily submits to Valmont's seduction. Confessing the next day that what happened was beautiful. On the other hand, it is important to mention the fate of the enamored Madame de Tourvel who does not die tragically because of Valmont's rejection, but in the novel she returns to her husband who forgives he
Reflections on "Valmont" The film is a pure reflection by its author about French society at the end of the 18th century and his path towards a freedom that passes through the suppression of values, loneliness and even death. Forman, he doesn't really portray his two leads as two soulless characters. Rather as vulnerable beings with tragicomic disputes that surround them. The climax of the film is precisely the sarcastic and deceptive conversations of the protagonists in their struggle to get what they want. An example of human vanity very typical of the upper class of the time. Despite the fact that over the years the critics recognized the mastery of this film. "Valmont" paid the consequences of having been preceded by the premiere of another adaptation of the same novel "Dangerous friendships" by Stephen Frears. Curiosities you did not know about "Valmont", the movie Forman's film script does not include many details that do appear in the novel. For example, in the novel adaptation, Valmont rapes young Cecilia who is subsequently forced to have an abortion. The Czech director ignored this detail and chose to capture how Cecilia voluntarily submits to Valmont's seduction. Confessing the next day that what happened was beautiful. On the other hand, it is important to mention the fate of the enamored Madame de Tourvel who does not die tragically because of Valmont's rejection, but in the novel she returns to her husband who forgives her.