Name: Harsh Patel Sub: CMLIT 102W Date: 06/23/12 Professor: Royal Brown

Dangerous Liaisons, by Choderlos De Laclos is an epistolary novel written as a series of letters. Set just prior to the French Revolution, Dangerous Liaisons is about sex, deceit, power, betrayal and seduction that have existed through time as one of the most controversial novel in the history. The Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil are two aristocrats and main characters of the novel. Valmont and Merteuil are both Protagonist and Antagonist of the novel. They are both corrupt and their motive is to influence and corrupt others in order to achieve their goal. Their relationship is the most dangerous as they are two evils on the same side, and they can turn on each other at any moment. The novel has inspired several plays, French mini TV series and various movies including the two, which is Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Cruel Intentions (1996). In this essay I will compare these two movies with the original novel itself.

Dangerous Liaisons (Book) v/s Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

I intend to compare the original novel Dangerous Liaisons with 1988 movie Dangerous Liaisons directed by Stephen Frears. The plot of the movie is very much same as the novel. Although movie is fast paced but it gives enough to understand whats going on. Christopher Hampton who wrote the screenplay for the movie has done great

job by consuming 400-page novel into two-hour movie. In novel there are at most ten characters that exchange letters to each other and in the movie too those ten characters consume most of the screen time, but in comparison with novel the movie revolves around two main characters named Valmont and Merteuil. One of the first differences between the movie and the novel is the way the story is told. The entire novel is full of letters while the movie has live action and is told in the present with the help of letters. The movie begins with Merteuil getting dressed with the help of her small army of maid. She places her jewelry on and shot ends with a close-up of her reflection in the mirror, grinning with evil self-satisfaction. Valmont also gets dressed in fine silk garments, and a expensive wig. In the book however Cecile de Volanges writes a letter to Sophie Carnay who has no part in the movie. Cecile has left the convent, and is preparing to be married off. In the movie, Cecile was never in a convent, but was getting ready to get married to a man who was thirty six. The guy Comte de Gercourt used to be Merteuils lover, once she discovers this; this is when she decides to take revenge. Also another difference, which I felt is that Valmont, was harsh to Tourvel in the entire movie whereas I didnt feel the same in the novel. In the movie although being harsh to Tourvel I think Valmont was falling for her whereas in the novel I felt his love for Tourvel at the very end when he breaks up with her. The major set back of Dangerous Liasons the movie, is that it presents only frontal views of Merteuil and Valmont. In other words director has given more importance to these two characters and I feel that he used other characters as prop in the film. Merteuil and Valmont are certainly the villains both in novel and movie but the

movie gives them more privileged status in society and in relation to the story that seem quite out of keeping with the strategies of the original. The movie is faithful to novel as director Frears and screenwriter Hampton succeeds in keeping the positive features of the epistolary form. I like the fact that some letters from the novel itself are used to bring the characters into confrontation as they write and read. Through film narrative technique director is able to interconnect with three levels of time One is when the letter was written, secondly when it was read and thirdly when the event of the letter occurs. For example, a passionate love letter to Madame de Tourvel, read aloud in Valmonts voice, is accompanied by shots which reflects the situation in which it was written: Valmont drafting it upon a makeshift table which is, actually the naked back of a giggling prostitute - revealing the letter to be partially inspired by fresh sexual experiences. Alternately, while the letter is being read aloud, there are shots of the Tourvel reading, shots that show the painful impression the letter makes upon her. In this way, in Dangerous Liaisons, not only are some of these masterfully composed letters made part of the script, but also director has used these letters skillfully and inventively, which takes the story forward. Religion is one of the main themes of the novel and it plays an important role in the film too. Madame De Tourvel is very religious person. She relied of God to get her through the days. The director does a good job of portraying the actresses and actors as mentioned in the book. Even in the clothing it's exactly as the author mentioned it, Madame De Tourvel wears conservative clothes because she is very religious. The ending of Dangerous Liaisons is faithful to the novel. Before Valmont dies he gives series of letters to Danceny to circulate and reveal the true side of Merteuil. When

Merteuil enters her box in the opera house then entire house goes silent in both novel and movie. The audience defames her and makes sound which forces Merteuil to leave. After this she is disfigured by smallpox and is also financially ruined in the novel. But in the movie Frears shows Merteuil removing her make up. She finds herself without power for which she has worked hard through her entire life. Merteuil was nothing if she was not for control. Performance can often change the textual interpretation of the novel, which is why I feel the director wanted to keep the movie simple, and much like the original characters in the novel written by Choderlos de Laclos. I also think that Frears changed some aspects of the movie, so it would have a more powerful impact. The " War" scene, when Merteuil and Valmont gets into heated argument when she refuses to sleep with him, is one of the most memorable scenes in the movie. Valmont tells Merteuil she can either join forces with him or sleep with him, or she can war- a simple word will do. She responds with three words "All right... war." The long pause in addition with smile completely made that scene memorable and its worth watching the one hundred and twenty minute film. However, in the novel, she responds in just one word and on the same paper " war." That one word collapsed the union they had with each other for such a long time. Dangerous Liaisons (Book) v/s Cruel Intentions (1999) Again the story of Cruel Intention directed by Roger Kumble is very much similar to the novel until it gets toward the endings. In the novel, the Vicomte de Valmont dies in a sword battle between him and Danceny after he is badly wounded. But before he dies he gives Danceny all of his letters, which contained the conversation between him and

the Marquise de Merteuil and tells him to circulate them in order to ruin Merteuils reputation. Danceny does this and then moves away for a while. Merteuil ends up becoming disfigured from small pox and her reputation crumbles and she takes off her mask (makeup). Cecile moves back into the convent and Madame de Tourvel dies of misery because of the fever and suffering that Valmont put her through. But since Cruel Intentions is a modernized version of this story, the ending is a lot different. In Cruel Intentions Sebastian (Valmont) dies by being hit by a car because he pushed Annette (Tourvel) out of the way in order to save her life. Obviously, this is a much more modern way of dying in a movie than dying in a sword fight. Also this act of saving Tourvels life shows the Sebastians (Valmont) character as being more heroic, which in Dangerous Liaisons, he was not quite so heroic. In the movie Ronald (Danceny) disappears after he fights with Sebastian, and that is the last we see of him. Catherine (Merteuil), like in the book, also has her reputation ruined, but she gets humiliated in front of the faculty and her friends. Also, Her addiction to cocaine is revealed and she is defamed for the drugs hidden in her necklace. In movie both Cecile directly gets revenge on Catherine by exposing Catherine (Merteuil) in journal. In Dangerous Liaisons, she does not take revenge on Merteuil instead she goes back to convent. In Dangerous Liaisons, Tourvel dies of misery. But in the movie it shows Annette (Tourvel) driving off in Sebastians expensive car. In the book, her character dies, but in the movie, she doesnt die and instead lives independent life. In the novel Tourvel is shown to be very religious but in the movie it is portrayed that Annette has vowed to stay reserved until her marriage. But, it did not have anything to do with religion. There is a big similarity in both novel and movie. Merteuils and

Catherines appearance in novel and movie is very similar. Both are portrayed beautiful and has good reputation in society. People around her saw her as a good virtuous person, a trustworthy person. But nobody knew her real side except Valmont (Sebastian). Merteuil doesnt cry in the whole novel until she discovers at the end that she has lost her power and has smallpox. Similarly, Catherine doesnt cry until the end when she is defamed. Both the movies Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Cruel Intention (1999) had similarity as well as few differences in comparison with novel. In particular, I liked Frears adaption better than Roger Kumbles. I think it is because of the way the actors of Dangerous Liaisons performed was exceptional. In particular Glenn Close and John Malkovich played their part with very ease. I personally find the novel very entertaining and it has great story and its a classic piece of literature, which will be cherished for years to come.