Forman saved the essential plot and characters but slightly changed the main line. He made characters more realistic (particularly the character of Cecil). To appreciate in the full degree the work done I will say that the novel is composed from letters of different people and the main two characters (Valmont and Marquise) never meet in the period described in the book though they connect the whole plot and cement all the intrique. In film of course they see each other often. So it was really a hard work to write a good script for the movie.

The plot of the film performs the scenes from the smart sets of XVIII century and especially its two great lions: Count Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil. Not to get bored in the life of balls, dull friends, etc. they invent for themselves rather unusual amuzement: to corrupt young souls and push them on the road of evil if we can say this. Actually they just want to direct their own plays where other people they control make everything they want. The victims don't know of course that they are just puppets in their devilish game. They unite together and form a real union. They invent terrible intrigues, great strategies, skillful plans. Their methods like persuation, sympathetic advice, sublte hints and others are purely psychological. They execute their plans by themselves. But the moment comes when evil feelings interfere in their perfect duo. They are ideal friends until jealousy creeps into their hearts and spoils everything. They are tied together with one rope and cutting it is fatal for both. Frankly speaking it's not a very logical sequence and in film they quickly realise their madness. But, alas! Too late. A fatal error takes away the life of Count. But for other characters film ends rather well.

This film is done with a great skill. I especially liked the actors' game: Colin Firth as Valmont and beautiful Annette Bening as Marquise de Merteuil. Firth is disgustful and attractive at the same time and it gives him a special charm. Other actors are also magnificent. Costumes and settings are very good.

I had an oppotunity to watch the film Liaisons Dangereuses, the other film based on the same novel. I think it would be interesting to compare them. I should tell that cannot give much credit to the latter one. The most exact word to characterize it is "Hollywood". In spite of the "brilliant" cast the film is awkward, the play is terrible. It does not follow the story exactly, neither does Forman's film, but at least Forman's movie gives us an interesting psychological explaining of heros' actions. In both films what characters are supposes to write about they have to speak to each other. But what you can easily write about sometimes it is not so easy to speak. Writing liberates, in written form people express philosophical ideas that they would never tell in usual speech. And don't forget that it was the epoch of Enlightment, writing was much more important, in a way it was the only way to express oneself, everybody knows names of Voltaire, Diderot and others who became famous for their philosophical and educational writings.

So film must inevitably change accents due to the fact that characters should talk instead of write to each other. So their behaviour should be also corrected with this fact. Let us take the famous scene of explaining between Vimconte and Marquise, I mean the last scene after which they become enemies. Let me say that in the novel Valmonte writes to Marquise an angry letter where keeps telling her that she must fulfill her promise about the reward that he had deserved, otherwise he declares a war. Marquise answers to him on the same note: OK, let it be war!" And that's all. After that they try to hurt each other as much as they can and to my mind it's not a very probable scenario. In Hollywood movie the same scene takes place between them orally and it does not impress much. But let us see what Forman does. His scene is genious, it's one of the best scenes in the whole cinematography. Vicomte comes to see Marquise while she is taking a bath. He also reminds her about the reward that had been promised to him. She does not want to "give" it to him but he did his part of the treaty so she must do hers. What is she doing? She gets out of her bath tub and, beeing all wet right in her clothes lies on the bed, takes a book and begins reading. "Here am I" she is saying by her posture, come and take if you want". Of course it's an insult, and it is stronger than a refusal in words. I like this scene very much. And as I told before in this article they both understand that they cannot be enemies, they have much in common and they really enjoy each other.

It is very difficult to create a film based on the novel in letters. But Forman could do it and his example shows that it is not always necessary to follow the story literally. It should be changed to adapt it to the movie because cinema is a different art. It is more restricted and much more clear. Forman did a brilliant work.

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