At what point did Madame de Merteuil 'turn' against Valmont?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Dangerous Liaisons
jh66 — 12 years ago(January 03, 2014 02:09 AM)
We see the ageing lothario and courtesan as former lovers agreeing to co-operate upon a plan of revenge against their own former lovers. Clearly this is a malicious scheme to humiliate and degrade people.
But somewhere between that spiteful beginning and the embittered ending, de Merteuil declares "war" upon her ally/lover/rival?
I think it was that she was wounded and enraged by Valmont's pet project, de Tourvel?
He dashes back excitedly to de Merteuil's chamber and- instead of revealing how it was nothing and how he dumped his pet- he stares out of the window and extols the virtues of his 'love' with Tourvel, clearly carried away and failing to notice the obvious heartbreak of Mertuil, who sits rigidly and fades into a griefstricken trance, given her mortified facial expression. Something a woman 'in control of her emotions' would never allow?
"I've never known anything quite like it"
he clumsily and wistfully says about his 'love', forgetting how such insults will infuriate a vengeful woman.
I think it was here that de Merteuil hatches her plan to set Valmont up and ruin both him and his 'love', as displayed in some of the later scenes, especially to get Valmont to break with Tourvel - which he expresses his deep regret for as he dies?
Opinions? -
nightswimming80 — 12 years ago(January 03, 2014 03:52 PM)
Merteuil was definitely jealous that Valmont is in love with Tourvel because
a) she liked the idea that no matter how many women he was screwing, she was the one who got Valmont's true devotion
b) she was more in love with Valmont than she cared to show and couldn't stand that he was now in love with someone else -
jh66 — 12 years ago(January 03, 2014 04:06 PM)
That's right, and the fact that Valmont declared his love for Tourvel again at the point of death, as well as having Danceny dispel his and Merteuil's scheming/love letters to the court, sealed her fate?
She obviously was crying bitter, genuine tears at the end.despite her shame and failing self-control. -
Squeeth2 — 11 years ago(May 07, 2014 03:49 AM)
From the start, Valmont pointed out that she wanted him to do her dirty work instead of his own. In the end he defeated her but the best scene in his manoeuvre was when he described he feelings for Tourvel, all bragging and wonder. He knew what he was doing, even more than Merteuil.
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