Teleplay: | Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt |
Director: | Josée Dayan |
Starring: | Catherine Deneuve Rupert Everett Nastassja Kinski Leelee Sobieski Danielle Darrieux Andrzej Zulawski |
Theme Music Composer: | Angelo Badalamenti |
Country: | France Canada United Kingdom |
Language: | French |
Producer: | Richard Lalonde |
Editor: | Fred Béraud-Dufour |
Cinematography: | Caroline Champetier |
Runtime: | 252 minutes |
Network: | TF1 |
Related: | Cruel Intentions (US pilot) Tempted (South Korea) |
Les Liaisons dangereuses (English title: Dangerous Liaisons) is a 2003 French television mini-series directed by Josée Dayan starring Catherine Deneuve, Rupert Everett, Nastassja Kinski and Leelee Sobieski. It is based on the classic 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.
An updated adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' classic 18th Century tale of seduction, betrayal and revenge set in the modern 1960s world of Parisian high society. The beautiful Madame de Merteuil (Catherine Deneuve) seeks vengeance against her ex-lover Gercourt (Andrzej Zulawski) when he becomes engaged to her young goddaughter, Cécile (Leelee Sobieski). Merteuil turns to her ex-lover/partner-in-crime, Valmont (Rupert Everett), famous for his reputation as a Don Juan, to seduce Cécile and emotionally destroy her. While on his mission, Valmont gets sidetracked when he goes to visit his aunt and falls for Madame Tourvel (Nastassja Kinski), a virtuous, married woman who knows of his womanizing ways, but that only makes the challenge more exciting to Valmont. Together, Madame de Merteuil and Valmont make a dangerous team and they will stop at nothing when it comes to matters of the heart.