by Anne-Marie Jones
Here at Sans Pareil, we love a good adaptation of the classic 'Les Liasons Dangereuses' story. Oh, who am I kidding, we love the bad ones too.
Netflix has a new, teen-oriented Dangerous Liasons film releasing on it's streaming service on July 8th, and while we wait in eager anticipation, here's 6 other adaptations for you to check out.
"Les Liaisons Dangereuses" was a French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos published in 1782, and there have been no less than a dozen film and tv adaptations, as well as ballet, opera and book versions.
From worst to best of 6 recent versions:
6 - Cruel Intentions 3
You didn't know about this one, did you? It's an 'in name only' sequel, clearly written as a cheap thriller ('Wild Things' for teens?), with the only connection to the original film being that the main female character is a cousin of Kathryn Mertuil.
It's pretty terrible, has no idea what it's doing, but if you know what you're in for (and are a huge fan of Kerr Smith like I am), it's a tolerable way to spend less than 90-minutes.
5 - Valmont
Nothing wrong with it, but compared to the far superior Dangerous Liasons (1989), it just isn't quite as good. If it wasn't telling the classic Dangerous Liasons story, it would probably be another dull period piece.
The problem with Valmont is it was made around the same time as Dangerous Liasons and despite a solid cast (Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Fairuza Balk), it didn't tell the story quite as well, in my opinion. Definitely worth a watch IF you're obsessed with the story, but you could quite happily give it a miss.
4 - Cruel Intentions 2
This is the first 'Dangerous Liasons' movie I ever saw, and while it has nothing to do with the traditional story, if you loved the first movie, it adds a bit of background. This is the first meeting between Sebastian and Kathryn, and the start of their games of seduction and manipulation. It was originally filmed as a pilot to a tv show that never happened, and some DVD releases were credited as 'Cruel Intentions 2 : Manchester Prep".
It's not a must-watch but entertaining for a fan of the original. Ryan Phillipe and SMG are replaced by poor but adequate substitutes - Robin Dunne and Amy Adams in an early leading role.
3 - Dangerous Liasons (Chinese)
In 2012, a Mandarin version of Dangerous Liasons was filmed, set in 19030's Shanghai. A faithful adaptation, it doesn't bring much new to the story but it doesn't need to. Very engaging, and beautifully shot.
2 - Dangerous Liasons
Dangerous Liasons and Valmont were made around the same time. and for me, Dangerous Liasons tells the story better. It's a period piece but if you're a fan of the story, you'll still find it entertaining, and the cast is absolutely fantastic (Glenn Close and John Malkovitch in the main roles, Uma Thurman, Keanu Reeves, Michelle Pieffer in supporting roles).
1 - Cruel Intentions
One of my all-time favourite movies, I must admit! This was the first movie to bring the story to a younger audience, and I think it worked perfectly.
The cast had a great chemistry (Ryan and Reese were married in real life, and Ryan and Sarah had previously starred together in the teen slasher "I Know What You Did Last Summe. , Selma Blair, Louise Fletcher, Joshua Jackson and Tara Reid made a good supporting cast).
Cruel Intentions recasts it's two leads as step-siblings this time, but stays very true to the classic tale. It also features a great soundtrack that suits the pre-2000's era and the atmosphere of the film. "Bittersweet Symphony" will always be linked to this film in my mind.
Have you seen or read any adaptations of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"? Which are your faves?
