Castrato

Volpone (2003)

Actors: Olivier Bériot (costume designer), Noëlle Boisson (editor), Jean-Pierre Guérin (producer), Daniel Prévost (actor), Teresa Madruga (actress), Philippe Perrin (producer), António da Cunha Telles (producer), Yves Verhoeven (actor), Rui Luís (actor), Jacques Mathou (actor), Gérard Jugnot (actor), Jean-François Stévenin (actor), Gérard Depardieu (actor), Ana Silva (miscellaneous crew), André Gago (actor),

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance,

Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Actors: Stephen Frears (director), Peter Capaldi (actor), Christopher Hampton (writer), Christopher Hampton (producer), George Fenton (composer), Mick Audsley (editor), Christopher Hampton (writer), Keanu Reeves (actor), Joe Sheridan (actor), Michelle Pfeiffer (actress), Uma Thurman (actress), Glenn Close (actress), John Malkovich (actor), Swoosie Kurtz (actress), Penny Eyles (miscellaneous crew),

Plot: Set in France around 1760, the Marquise de Merteuil needs a favour from her ex-lover, Vicomte de Valmont. One of the Marquise de Merteuil's ex-lovers, Gercourt, is betrothed to a young, virtuous, woman called Cecile de Volanges. The Marquise would like Valmont to seduce Cecile before her wedding day, thus humiliating Gercourt. Meanwhile, Valmont has a conquest of his own in mind: Madame de Tourvel, a beautiful, married, and God fearing woman. The Marquise doesn't think that Valmont can seduce Mme de Tourvel. She tells him that if he can provide written proof of a sexual encounter with Mme de Tourvel, she will offer him a reward: one last night with her. Valmont, however, will find himself falling in love with Mme de Tourvel, and facing the deadly jealousy of the Marquise de Merteuil. All along, Cecile de Volanges is used as a pawn in this game of sexual conquest and scorned love.

Keywords: 1700s, 18th-century, adultery, anger, aristocracy, aristocrat, audience, bare-breasts, based-on-novel, based-on-play
Genres: Drama, Romance,
Taglines: Lust. Seduction. Revenge. The Game As You've Never Seen It Played Before.

Quotes:

Marquise de Merteuil: One of the reasons I never re-married, despite a bewildering range of offers, was the determination NEVER AGAIN to be ordered about.

Vicomte de Valmont: [Armand, who is getting all of his possessions taken by the tax collector, stands in the presence of Vicomte de Valmont] Please, don't get up.::Armand: I have to. They're taking my bed.

Marquise de Merteuil: My victory wasn't over her.::Vicomte de Valmont: Of Course it was. What are you talking about?::Marquise de Merteuil: It was over you.

[repeated line]::Vicomte de Valmont: It's beyond my control.

Marquise de Merteuil: You'll find the shame is like the pain, you only feel it once.

Madame Marie de Tourvel: I'm beginning to think you may have planned the whole exercise.::Vicomte de Valmont: I had no idea you were staying here! Not that it would have disturbed me in the slightest if I had known. You see, until I met you, I had only ever experienced desire. Love, never.::Madame Marie de Tourvel: That's enough.::Vicomte de Valmont: No, no, you made an accusation and you must allow me the opportunity to defend myself! Now, I'm not going to deny that I was aware of your beauty. But the point is, this has nothing to do with your beauty. As I got to know you, I began to realize that beauty was the least of your qualities. I became fascinated by your goodness. I was drawn in by it. I didn't understand what was happening to me. And it was only when I began to feel actual, physical pain every time you left the room that it finally dawned on me: I was in love, for the first time in my life. I knew it was hopeless, but that didn't matter to me. And it's not that I want to have you. All I want is to deserve you. Tell me what to do. Show me how to behave. I'll do anything you say.

Vicomte de Valmont: You see, I have no intention of breaking down her prejudices. I want her to believe in God and virtue and the sanctity of marriage, and still not be able to stop herself. I want the excitement of watching her betray everything that's is most important to her. Surely you understand that. I thought betrayal was your favorite word.::Marquise de Merteuil: No, no..."cruelty." I always think that has a nobler ring to it.

Marquise de Merteuil: Adopt a less marital tone of voice.

Marquise de Merteuil: When I came out into society I was 15. I already knew that the role I was condemned to, namely to keep quiet and do what I was told, gave me the perfect opportunity to listen and observe. Not to what people told me, which naturally was of no interest, but to whatever it was they were trying to hide. I practiced detachment. I learned how to look cheerful while under the table I stuck a fork into the back of my hand. I became a virtuoso of deceit. It wasn't pleasure I was afer, it was knowledge. I consulted the strictest moralists to learn how to appear, philosophers to find out what to think, and novelists to see what I could get away with, and in the end, I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die.

Vicomte de Valmont: 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.