DANGEROUS LIAISONS

Korea/China, 2012, 107 minutes, Colour.
Zhang Ziyi, Dong-gun Jang, Cecilia Cheung, Lisa Lu.
Directed by Jin-ho Hur.

There have been several versions of Laclos’ novel of 18th century manners and manipulation. It was updated to the middle of the 20th entury for Roger Vadim’s 1960 version with Gerard Philippe and . The classic films version was Stephen Frears 1988 beautifully elegant but deadly portrait of corrupt society. Milos Forman released Valmont the following year with Colin Firth and Annette Bening. There was the American update for young adults in Cruel Intentions. A Korean interpretation was made in 2007, Untold Scandals. The present film is Chinese and has a 1930s Shanghai setting.

Audiences familiar with the basic plot will be pleased to recognise the principal characters, the womanizing playboy who makes the bet of seduction of the proper widow with the decadent society woman. There is the innocent young girl and her ambitious mother and the young man who is in love with her and is seduced by the manipulative madam.

The performances are persuasive although the drama builds up to a rather violent and melodramatic ending.

One of the benefits is the setting the film in the 1930s, an affluent Shanghai and glamorous society – on the verge of the Japanese invasion and the consequent suffering for China portrayed in so many historical films in recent years.

Audiences who have appreciated other versions of Dangerous Liaisons will not be disappointed with this one.

1. The original classic of literature? 18th century France? The various films and adaptations? The use of a different period?

2. Shanghai 1931, the recreation of the city, the vistas of the city and the harbour, the streets, the lights, homes, restaurants? The musical score?

3. Audience familiarity with the plot from other versions? Comparisons? Characters and casting?

4. The title, the focus on love, sexuality, fidelity, infidelity, seduction, games and bets?

5. The introduction to Fan: playboy, wealthy, dapper, an external gentleman, brazen womaniser, callow in his attitudes and morality? His grandmother’s arrival, with Fenyu? His reactions to her? The social and fundraiser, his being the host? His relationship with Miss Mo, the challenge, the wager, the theme of Beibei and the suggestion of seduction? His being unwilling, she being too young, too easy? His interest in Fenyu? Watching her making the textbooks, drawing the smoke on the train? His tactics, the incident with the light bulb and the change, the opera, the distribution of the leaflets, Fenyu saving the rebel student, Fan pretending that he was his chauffeur to take his grandmother home? The food incidents, talk, the seduction, Fenyu’s response, his falling in love with her, his being upset, anger, going to Miss Mo to claim his reward? The songs to Fenyu? His blunt rejection of her? Saying that he had won the wager? His discovering the artist with Miss Mo? In the street, his being shot, going to Fenyu’s door, the blood trail, the scene in the street and the snow, his love for Fenyu, his death? Redeemable?

6. Fenyu as the widow, the reputation of her husband and his charity, her reputation, chastity, charity, concerned about refugees in 1931? The Japanese in China at the time? Accompanying the grandmother? The social, her refusing to dance with Fan? The meeting with Miss Mo? The demonstrations, the political themes, at the opera, her saving the student? Her writing the textbooks? Her looking at herself in the mirror, the attention from Fan, her changing, love, passion? Making the food, going to Miss Mo’s house, the rejection? Her despair, thinking of suicide, not killing herself? Refusing Fan’s entry at the door, going out, the blood, the reconciliation in the snow, his death? Her love for him and its effect on her?

7. The year later, with the children, the refugees, the textbooks, the smoke circles on the train on the text – and her memories?

8. Miss Mo, controlling, divorced young, her wealth, her business interests, the takeover? Her use of English phrases? Fashion? Her maid? The wager, her antagonism towards Beibei and her wealthy marriage, to her rival? The opera, getting Beibei out, the key, her going to the artist? Preventing the mother going in? The alliance with the artist, her rejection of Fan, despising him? The end, the mirrors, her weeping and despair?

9. The mother and Beibei, personalities, the planned marriage, the artist, the posing? The opera, Beibei deceiving her mother, the mother’s love for the opera, the artists? Beibei and the issue of nude posing for his success? The discovery of the truth? The plans for an arranged marriage?

10. The artist, student, his painting Beibei, falling in love, his rejection of her plan for nude posing, the lies, his liaison with Miss Mo, seeing Fan – and then shooting him in the street?

11. A portrait of society, morals and lack of morals, decadence, the Chinese traditions, the adaptation to the West in Shanghai, the world of affluence? The possibility for people to change – and regrets?