Valmont (1989)

Director:

Milos Forman

Writers:

Choderlos de Laclos (novel)
Jean-Claude Carrière (writer)

Release Date:

17 November 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Set in Baroque France, a scheming widow and her lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman...

Plot Keywords:

France | Love | Widow | Aristocrat | Candle

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Colin Firth	...	Valmont
Annette Bening	...	Merteuil
Meg Tilly	...	Madame de Tourvel
Fairuza Balk	...	Cecile
Siân Phillips	...	Madame de Volanges (as Sian Phillips)
Jeffrey Jones	...	Gercourt
Henry Thomas	...	Danceny
Fabia Drake	...	Madame de Rosemonde
T.P. McKenna	...	Baron
Isla Blair	...	Baroness
Ian McNeice	...	Azolan
Aleta Mitchell	...	Victoire
Ronald Lacey	...	José
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Jean
Sandrine Dumas	...	Martine

Also Known As:

Valmont (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Ha-Peetooim Ha-Assurim Shel Velmont (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Valmont (Finland) [fi]
Valmont (Poland) [pl]
Valmont (West Germany) [de]
Valmont (Czechoslovakia: Czech title) [cs]
Valmont - Uma História de Seduções (Brazil) [pt]

Runtime:

137 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2000) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Brazil:16 | UK:15 | Iceland:L | Peru:18 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Sweden:7 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Abbaye aux Hommes, Caen, Calvados, France

Company:

Renn Productions

Trivia:

Wil Wheaton was originally chosen to play Danceny, but the producers of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987) would not release him from his commitments, and the role went to Henry Thomas.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tourvel is in the market she places several food items in her basket one after the other. However, every time she does so the basket appears empty even though she had just placed something in it a moment before.

Quotes:

Mertuil: Valmont, you disappoint me. That's what's keeping you here. Tell me, are you really falling in love?
Valmont: Does that make you jealous?
Mertuil: Not really.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary (1989) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Te Deum

all about subtleties

I must confess that the first time I saw that movie, few years after it's release, I couldn't help, but find it a pale version of Stefan Freirs "Dangerous Liaison". Recently I have seen both movies and I must say that my opinion is quite the opposite now. In "Valmont" everything is subtle and I think this is why most people didn't get it. You can destroy someone's life without having written "I'm Bad!" on your forehead. With her slow-velvet voice Annette Bening is a snake under a rock:she is terrifying. As for Colin Firth's Valmont he is charming, he flies like a butterfly, but he knows exactly what he is doing. We believe in his seduction not because we are told to but because we are seduced ourselves. People have been saying that Valmont was too light, too boyish. There is nothing boyish in the way he says at Mme de Tourvelle "Is that what you want?" You see at that point how his hight-pitched voice, that goes with his voice and smile, is only a mask, as powder was John Malkovitch's mask. Colin Firth said that Milos Forman was too subtle for his own good and I think this is why some people can still find "Dangerous Liaisons" more powerful. As for "Valmont" even if the end is a bit weak, I wouldn't hesitate to say that it is from far the best version of the two movies. For those who go by the book, as I once did, you might be puzzled by the differences with the original story but for its deep sensitivity, its wonderful cast and this art of subtlety, it's really worth every moment of it.