Les Liaisons dangereuses (1959) - film review

The Vicomte de Valmont imagines himself as a modern day Don Juan, delighting in his conquests of even the most reluctant of female prey.  Far from condemning his behaviour, his wife, Juliette, encourages him, with the proviso that he does not fall in love with any of his victims.  But the inevitable happens.  During a stay at a ski resort, Valmont seduces a girl, Marianne, and falls in love with her...

In this film, Roger Vadim skilfully transposes Choderlos de Laclos’s 1782 novel Les liaisons dangereuses to the swinging ‘60s.  The era of unfettered individualism and sexual permissiveness provides a suitably appropriate backdrop to the predatory adventures of the Vicomte de Valmont.

This is quite a satisfying film, although it is clearly not in the league of Vadim’s New Wave contemporaries, such as Truffaut or Godard.  Lacking true emotional impact and depth of characterisation, the film does feel a little insubstantial, incomplete.  It doesn’t give much in the way of explanation for why Juliette and Valmont behave as they do, so Vadim’s analysis appears typically shallow and unconvincing.

On the plus side, the photography is on a par with that of the emerging New Wave films.  It reinforces the extent of Valmont’s power over his victims and evokes a real sense of tension between Valmont and his wife.   Subtle piano music from Thelonious Monk adds greatly to the atmosphere, whilst the liveliness of the 1960s is brilliantly captured by a wild New Year’s Eve party.

Jeanne Moreau and Gérard Philipe are splendidly paired as the vampirish couple, Juliette and Valmont, who play a dangerous and increasingly complex game of psychological chess.  Moreau is seldom seen to be so intense, so manipulative, so venomous, as in this film – a chilling performance.

Also, watch out for a very young Jean-Louis Trintignant, who would later become better known for his role in Lelouch’s 1966 land-mark film Un homme et une femme.

Whilst not as grand as Stephen Frears’ 1988 film of the same name, Vadim’s Les liaisons dangereuses has much to commend it and is worthy of a fresh reappraisal.

© James Travers 2001

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