Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living... the high life in the late 1800s in Paris.
Profession… aristocrat. He doesn’t have to work, so he passes his time gossiping and scheming with his former lover, Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil. They think the same way: betrayal is their favorite word.
Interests… dangerous liasons. He and The Marquis keep score of their sexual conquests, competing with each other over how many hearts they can break. The Marquis’ latest plan is to get back at her scorned lover by having Valmont seduce his virginal fiancé. But Valmont has his eyes set on Madame de Tourvel, a married woman known for her fidelity to her husband. He and the Marquis end making a deal. If Valmont can seduce both women with written proof of the trysts, the Marquis agrees to reward him with her love for a night.
Relationship Status... surprising. As Valmont says about Madame de Tournvel, “I ended by falling on my knees and pledging her eternal love. And do you know that, at that time, and for several hours afterwards, I actually meant it.” Valmont is not sure what to do now; being in love is a new concept for him.
Challenge... dealing with The Marquis who feels betrayed. She is doing everything she can to break off his affair with Madame de Tourvel.
Personality... witty, manipulative, and sexy (even when wearing a long-haired wig). Valmont is quite clever and can keep up with The Marquis’ verbal sparring. When it comes down to it, though, he is not quite as cold as she is.
Get to Know him in...
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Dangerous Liaisons is the film based on the novel of the same name by Choderlos de Laclos set in 18th century France. Marquise de Merteuil's asks her ex-lover Vicomte de Valmont to seduce the future wife of another ex-lover of hers in return for one last night with her. Yet things don't go as planned in this love triangle drama.
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Laclos's great novel of moral and emotional depravity is a disturbing and ultimately damning portrayal of a decadent society. Aristocrats and ex-lovers Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont embark on a sophisticated game of seduction and manipulation to bring amusement to their jaded lives. While Merteuil challenges Valmont to seduce an innocent convent girl, he is also occupied with the conquest of a virtuous married woman. Eventually their human pawns respond, and the consequences prove to be more serious—and deadly—than the players could have ever predicted.
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Juliette Merteuil and Valmont is a sophisticated couple, always looking for fun and excitement. Both have sexual affairs with others and share their experiences with one another. But there is one rule: never fall in love. But this time Valmont falls madly in love with a girl he meets at a ski resort, Marianne.
