History Literature / DangerousLiaisons

It was adapted as an English language stage play by Christopher Hampton in 1985 with its French title. The most well known adaptation (which is also based on the 1985 play) is without much doubt the 1988 film ''Dangerous Liaisons'', directed by Creator/StephenFrears and starring Creator/GlennClose, Creator/JohnMalkovich, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/SwoosieKurtz and Creator/KeanuReeves. Another film adaptation, ''Film/{{Valmont}}'', starring Creator/ColinFirth, Creator/AnnetteBening, and Creator/MegTilly, [[DuelingWorks came out the very next year]].

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In 2022, a PrequelSeries [[NamesTheSame with the same title]], ''Series/DangerousLiaisons'' started airing on -Creator/{{Starz}}, but was cancelled by the network after only one season.

-->'''Valmont''': Yes or no? It's up to you, of course. I will merely confine myself to remarking that a "no" will be [[ThisMeansWar regarded as a declaration of war]]. A single word is all that's required.
-->'''Merteuil''': All right...
-->'''Valmont''': ''(smiles smugly)''
-->'''Merteuil''': ''War''.

In 2022, a PrequelSeries [[NamesTheSame with the same title]], ''Series/DangerousLiaisons'' started airing on Creator/{{Starz}}, but which was cancelled by the network after only one season.

In 2022, a PrequelSeries [[NamesTheSame with the same title]], ''Series/DangerousLiaisons'' started airing on Creator/{{Starz}}, being renewed for a second season after the first barely started.

* {{Sidekick}}: Azolan, Valmont's valet. Those watching the film may [[RetroactiveRecognition retroactively recognize]] him as [[Characters/DoctorWhoTwelfthDoctor 12th Doctor]] Creator/PeterCapaldi.

* DirectLineToTheAuthor: Laclos uses the framing device that he discovered the journals and is publishing them, and comments on how MoralGuardians likely object but he is publishing them for a moral purpose (namely that people like Valmont and Merteuil are [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing bad and others should avoid being taken in by someone like them]])

It was updated in 1999 [[HighSchoolAU to a modern high school]] as ''Film/CruelIntentions''. In 2003, another modern-dress (actually late TheFifties/early TheSixties) adaptation was filmed as a miniseries for French TV, starring Creator/CatherineDeneuve, Creator/LeeleeSobieski, Creator/NastassjaKinski and Creator/RupertEverett. In the same year, a Korean movie adaptation, ''Untold Scandal'', transferred the plot, remarkably faithfully, to 18th century Korea. In 2018, [[KoreanDrama a South Korean modern-day adaptation]] called ''Series/{{Tempted}}'' also aired, starring Creator/{{Joy}} (from one of the country's biggest musical acts, Music/RedVelvet) and Woo Do-hwan.

It was updated in 1999 [[HighSchoolAU to a modern high school]] as ''Film/CruelIntentions''. In 2003, another modern-dress (actually late 1950's/early 1960's) adaptation was filmed as a miniseries for French TV, starring Creator/CatherineDeneuve, Creator/LeeleeSobieski, Creator/NastassjaKinski and Creator/RupertEverett. In the same year, a Korean movie adaptation, ''Untold Scandal'', transferred the plot, remarkably faithfully, to 18th century Korea. In 2018, [[KoreanDrama a South Korean modern-day adaptation]] called ''Series/{{Tempted}}'' also aired, starring Creator/{{Joy}} (from one of the country's biggest musical acts, Music/RedVelvet) and Woo Do-hwan.

** Vicomte de Valmont

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Valmont and de Tourvel are dead, Cecile's so broken by all the manipulation she decides to become a nun, and Merteuil is (in the film and book) publicly disgraced and (also in the book) facially disfigured from smallpox. She's gotten so engaging, if not actually likeable, that it can be hard to witness her downfall. In the play she gets off practically scot-free but is emotionally broken by the idea that Valmont loved someone other than her, and of course -- as the threatening shadow of the guillotine on the wall at the very ends reminds us -- the French Revolution is on the way...]]

* EnemyMine: Despite hating Daceny, Valmont's aunt is willing to work with him to make sure that the scandal is quietly buried.

** Valmont kissing Merteuil's bosum.

* ThePornomancer: Averted; the characters spend quite a lot of time on the planning and implementation of a seduction.

* SettingUpdate: Besides ''Film/CruelIntentions'', one miniseries is set the story in 1960s France. A Chinese adaptation released in 2012 sets the story in 1930s Shanghai. The South Korean film ''Untold Scandal'' transplants the story from 18th Century France to 18th Century Korea, while the Korean drama ''[[Series/{{Tempted}} Tempted]]'' sets it in modern-day Seoul.

* ExactWords: Valmont is very fond of those, finding pleasure and amusement in his own duplicity, like when he tells Tourvel she "would think less of him if she knew his motives." Taken UpToEleven in his best letter, written in bed, on another lover's bare back, and composed in its entirety of sentences alluding to that fact.

It was adapted as an English language stage play by Christopher Hampton in 1985 with its French title. The most well known adaptation (which is also based on the 1985 play) is without much doubt the 1988 film ''Dangerous Liaisons'', directed by Creator/StephenFrears and starring Creator/GlennClose, Creator/JohnMalkovich, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/SwoosieKurtz and Creator/KeanuReeves. Another film adaptation, ''Film/{{Valmont}}'', [[DuelingWorks came out the very next year]].

* Valmont kissing Merteuil's bosum.

* Valmont and Tourvel's lovemaking following their love confession.

** Tourvel's maid Julie lying topless in her bedchambers as she is caught with Azolan.

* FanDisservice: Valmont climbing into cecile's bedchambers, sexually assaulting her and then blackmailing her into sex.

* Fanservice:

** Tourvel lover nude in his bed while he writes Tourvel.

''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' (''Dangerous Liaisons'') is a seminal 18th century EpistolaryNovel by French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.

It was adapted as an English language stage play in 1985 with its French title. The most well known adaptation is without much doubt the 1988 film ''Dangerous Liaisons'', directed by Creator/StephenFrears and starring Creator/GlennClose, Creator/JohnMalkovich, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/SwoosieKurtz and Creator/KeanuReeves. Another film adaptation, ''Film/{{Valmont}}'', [[DuelingWorks came out the very next year]].

It was adapted as an English language stage play in 1985 with its French title. The most well known adaptation is perhaps the 1988 film ''Dangerous Liaisons'', directed by Creator/StephenFrears and starring Creator/GlennClose, Creator/JohnMalkovich, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/UmaThurman, Creator/SwoosieKurtz and Creator/KeanuReeves. Another film adaptation, ''Film/{{Valmont}}'', [[DuelingWorks came out the very next year]].

''Les Liaisons dangereuses'' is an 18th century EpistolaryNovel by French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.

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* IdleRich: Virtually all of the cast. Valmont is astonished at the seemingly paltry of money he pays to save a poor family from ruin (to look good in Tourvel's eyes, naturally) and that such families are not uncommon.

* CorruptTheCutie: Merteuil explicitly asks Valmont to do this to Cecile in an effort to humiliate the girl's arranged husband, who is one of Merteuil's ex-lovers.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Merteuil fakes this extremely well, pretty much out of necessity. (Keeping up a not just good but absolutely unassailable reputation is the only way to ensure that anyone spreading rumors about what she's ''really'' up to won't be believed.)

* TheIngenue: Cecile. So very much.