On stage, two wounded wild animals are ready to sow desolation around them to heal from an incurable illness: love. The Marquise de Merteuil and the Viscount de Valmont, played by Delphine Depardieu and Valentin de Carbonnières, disturbingly narrowly, destroy themselves and take pleasure in dragging those around them into a descent into hell. Merteuil and Valmont love each other deeply. And very badly.
Adapted from the epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos, written in 1782, the play Dangerous Liaisonsat the Comédie des Champs-Élysées, in Paris, until December 29, 2024, is a mise en abyme of the feeling of love, the balance of power and domination between the sexes. “I was born to avenge my sex and despise yours”, entrusts the marquise to her former lover.
The manipulative couple launches into predation with glee and – above all – cruelty. Arnaud Denis makes a few discreet nods to the contemporary, but maintains a classic approach through language, period costumes and light scenography. The epistolary form is reproduced without heaviness to provide a transition between certain scenes.
Today, we would talk about a toxic relationship. Merteuil and Valmont, out of pride and boredom, destroy lives to feel alive. Their targets have the misfortune of being both innocent and naive: a young virgin girl who has just left the convent and is preparing to get married, and a pious and married woman. The two predators will persist in perverting them, multiplying their attacks to conquer them. They feast on the misfortunes of others, to forget their own. Arnaud Denis did not just repeat the original text. He very happily took liberties to make it a very personal adaptation. And very successful.
There is a lot of wit, catchphrases, tasty ferocity and devastating humor in this sulphurous piece. And a subtle language. “I wanted to preserve, in this original adaptation, all the finesse and preciousness of the language. His raw, chiseled strength. And above all the darkness of the characters and the subject. These are monsters who speak, who act (I’m talking about Merteuil and Valmont of course). It’s a story about panthers chasing deer. It’s about predators and prey, swirling in a lush savannah.” specifies Arnaud Denis, in his note of intent.
How does she manage to play such a powerful role every night? Delphine Depardieu is simply impressive as a wounded woman who transforms her personal suffering into devastating villainy. She is this cold monster who is cracking from the inside due to lack of love. Delphine Depardieu and Valentin de Carbonnières succeed in making us forget the two main roles played by Glenn Close and John Malkovich in Stephen Frears’ film. Dangerous Liaisons, a deliciously cruel work carried by an inspired cast.
Titre : “Dangerous Liaisons” after Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Adaptation and staging: Arnaud Denis
Distribution : Delphine Depardieu, Valentin de Carbonnières, Salomé Villiers, Michèle André, Pierre Devaux, Marjorie Dubus and Guillaume de Saint Sernin
Duration : 1h45
Dates : until December 29, 2024
Lieu : Comédie des Champs-Élysées, 15 avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris
Synopsis : The Marquise de Merteuil asks her former lover, the Viscount of Valmont, to propose an immoral challenge: she wishes to take revenge for a former infidelity by corrupting the young Cécile de Volanges, just out of the convent, by taking away her virginity before marriage. Valmont, for his part, has decided to seduce Madame de Tourvel, a young married and pious woman. The plans of the two monsters will turn out to be much more harmful than they imagined… Love is no joke, and certain dangerous relationships can prove fatal.
