Veszedelmes viszonyok

Updates, modifications, and shifts in meaning by Vadim's entire team created a postmodern version of De Laclos' classic, the novel in letters, to movie theater screens for the first time. Not only was the time period changed, but also the proper names and the relationships between the main characters. Yes, the main factor is still the Machiavellianism around Valmont, but that's certainly not everything. In the post-war era, there are hard-to-believe conditions with planned marriages, intrigues on the social level of pre-revolutionary France, and skiing in three-quarter sweaters. That's simply too much. In addition, Valmont is de Merteuil's husband, de Rosemonde is too active to be an old woman, and last but not least, Gercourt has become Jerry Court?! It is no wonder, then, that the final struggle between the disgraced Danceny and the utterly humiliated Valmont remains nothing more than an accident in front of the fireplace, and the only thing worth noting, even in this inverted narrative, is the transformation of de Tourvel's personality. Overall, this is not a version I hold in high esteem, but I'll continue to enjoy the novel and explore the other twelve subsequent adaptations. However, if I didn’t know this one, I would certainly still be missing something. (2011.10.29)