Dangerous Liaisons (1989)

[Huscarl]

For those who have seen this brilliant film, when do you think the whole story starts to come apart for Valmont (John Malkovich) and Merteuil (Glenn Close)? She is fine for almost the entire story, then snaps near the end?

 

Throughout the film, Merteuil encourages her great life-long, on-off lover and noble rival, Valmont, to screw about and cruelly ruin people's lives, even when she isn't the direct benefactor (ie. Tourvel, Michelle Pfeiffer), even reading his 'proof' letters and laughing.

 

I think it was after Valmont bedded Tourvel and his arrival to Merteuil's palace to relay how his encounter with Tourvel was. He swaggers in past her servant, having shouted upstairs "Succ-ess...SUCC-ESS!" and Merteuil is still fine, waiting eagerly for titillating gossip and [hopefully] Valmont's dismissal of this dull 'sideshow'?

BUT, as he begins to joyfully regail how 'special' the encounter was, and how he 'professed his love for hours and actually meant it"...her face changes. She, the invulnerable ice queen, is jealous.

 

She is obviously shocked for a while at his 'betrayal' as he arrogantly continues with the details, unaware of her slow-burning emotion, caught off-guard and visibly angry, something her iron will never normally allows.

 

I think it's now that she begins mentally to plot his downfall. Maybe she realises that he, the eternal and unattainable bachelor, has finally 'fallen' in love, but not with her?

 

The last shared scene in the final, fiery but ill-fated showdown between the vengeful Marquise de Merteuil and the still-arrogant-but-horny De Valmont, was incredible acting reminiscent of Richard Burton (Henry VIII)/Genevieve Bujold's(Anne Boleyn) great finale in 'Anne of the Thousand Days', 1969? One dies, the other is doomed for disgrace and social alienation forever.

[Towton]

Good review of the film.

 

I agree that it was perhaps this scene that turned Close against Malkovich, she tried to be iron-willed and ice cold, but wasn't. Women can't control their emotions.

[aelfheah]

I love this film, and yes, Madame de Merteuil is a woman with issues, it's her own fault though, she thinks she can play the 'dangerous' game and win. She can't.