In April of 1988, one month before Dangerous Liaisons began production, movie goers could see Keanu on the big screen in two films: "Permanent Record" and "The Night Before." Though "Bill and Ted" had been filmed in March, 1987, it was still one year away from making it to the theaters (Feb, 1989 to be exact.) Fans knew Keanu only in the context of three movies, the two above and "River's Edge," which had been released the previous year. So it was quite a shock to see an actor, known only for contemporary, edgy teen roles, appear in a costumed drama about sexual seduction prior to the French Revolution. It was a leap of faith some did not want to take. Dangerous Liaisons was Keanu's first experience with a big studio production, based on a well-known novel, with a cast of established and rising stars. For those reasons, it was a watershed picture in Keanu's career, when at 23 years old, he was about to take his own leap into a career which defied typecasting. At the same time he took a flying leap off his motorcycle at Topanga Canyon in his worst motorcycle accident, which left the prominent scar he still wears on his abdomen today.
Christopher Hampton, a British playwright, read the 1782 book by Choderlos DeLaclos and decided to transform its content, written in a series of letters, into a play commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1984. The book had a history of being banned throughout the centuries, but Hampton also knew it was studied in literature courses on the University level.
He considered Dangerous Liaisons to be "the most profound analyses ever made of love and sex." His play went on to win the 1986 Olivier Award on the London stage and later appeared in Paris and Broadway. He was the natural choice to write the screenplay for Dangerous Liaisons the movie; later, he was nominated for an Oscar and won the American Writers Guild Award for his movie dialogue, which Roger Ebert described as "conversational games, tennis matches for the soul." Hampton used much of the same dialogue from the play to the film, which he saw as a "series of seductions and would be seductions orchestrated by these two characters in a mad game of emotional and romantic one-upmanship." It was all very complicated, decadent, cruel, and compelling.
Stephen Frears, known as a British TV director, made his U.S. debut with Dangerous Liaisons and a 14 million budget. He was given a ten-week shooting schedule, which began in May, 1988, and locations in eight chateaux near Paris. In an interview with the magazine, English Film Review, Keanu recalled that he "spent most of my time just drinking wine and cavorting around Paris. I was there for three months, but my part only involved 15 days of work. I got to know the Beaujolais better than the cast. It brought out the boy in me. Costumes, pomp and circumstance- the chance to wave a sword about. It was great."
The studio wanted to beat out a rival production of the same book, "Valmont," directed by Milos Forman. But Frears had little to worry about, for his cast was far more interesting in the telling of this tale. Frears' Glenn Close could easily match Forman's Annette Benning, and Malkovich was more interesting than Colin Firth in the title role. And Henry Thomas in Keanu's role? Forget about it! "Valmont" eventually made its debut in the U.S. but it never received the critical acclaim and success that Dangerous Liaisons enjoyed.
Frears wanted American actors with theatrical training and box office appeal. He thought the Americans "play[ed] feelings wonderfully, especially in
close-ups." Glenn Close was stage trained and red hot from her performance in "Fatal Attraction." She was universally praised for her performance, earning an Oscar nomination. The Washington Post described her as "an evil queen in a fairy story." Just as riveting, but drawing mixed reviews from critics and receiving no awards, was John Malkovich. Some critics felt he "lacked the devilish charm and seductiveness" needed for the part, and was not "a conventionally handsome leading man." Once again the Washington Post weighed in with a positive review, noting that "lovemaking is a matter of technique, preparation, and will", not "physical beauty." It reminds me of Pacino's speech in "Devil's Advocate." Remember? "Underestimated from day one."
Keanu auditioned in NYC with 18 year old Uma Thurmond. Much of the criticism of his performance, which the New York Post called "howlingly out of place," was because people could not accept him as an 18th century prim and proper piano teacher. It would be like Tom Cruise playing an 18th century vampire. Oh...yeah...Never mind. Keanu remarked that "My Darceny, if you compare it to the book...it's awful." But you have to remember that his role was greatly diminished in the film version of the book. First, his scene with Michelle Pfeifer on her death bed was dubbed over with music. And his big love scene with Glenn Close was cut from the script before filming began (Keanu's reaction: "C'est dommage", which means "it's ashame.") Keanu had trouble with his first scene at the opera, a scene which required him to cry. It took six hours to film because, as he told the director, "I don't cry much." In many ways the criticism from this film reminded me of the criticism he received for a similar role in a later picture, "Dracula," in which he played an uptight solicitor to an even greater seductive lover, the unconventional Gary Oldman as Dracula. But several critics also noted that Keanu came into his own with the climactic swordfight; he had learned to fence from an earlier stage role in 1985's "Romeo and Juliet."
Dangerous Liaisons opened in limited release on December 16, 1988 in the U.S. and wide release in January, 1989. It went on to make $34.7 million in the States, despite some predictions that it was "too intellectual to attract a wide audience." It was nominated for seven Oscars (including Best Picture, Actress, and Supporting Actress), and won three for Art Direction, Screenplay, and Costumes. Not bad for a film in which several of the main characters die or are condemn to live out lives as social outcasts. Its theme must have universal appeal because it resurfaced in 1999's "Cruel Intentions," with a modern setting (NYC Prep School) and cast (Sarah Michelle Gellar in the Glenn Close role and Reese Witherspoon in the Uma Thurmond role). Whatever the setting or date, it is still a movie about malevolent people making bad choices, hurting the ones they love, and creating their own rings of fire....sort of like "Feeling Minnesota"! Newsweek called Dangerous Liaisons as "steamy as dry ice...nasty decadent fun." Well, I didn't think DL or FM was very much fun to watch. Whether it's 18th century aristocracy, or 20th century marginal characters in Minnesota, sexual intrigue still packs a wallop today, sort of like a Jerry Springer show or a cat fight on "Dynasty."
The balcony is open.