Dangerous Liaisons

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 Marianne Tourvel, and falls in love with her... In this film, Roger Vadim skilfully transposes Choderlos de Laclos’s 1782 novel 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. 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.