Valmont

"As unpredictable as love itself."

1989 2h 17m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 313

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Set in Baroque France, a scheming widow and her lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman. The lover, Valmont, bets that he can seduce her, even though she is an honorable woman. If he wins, he can have his lover to do as he will. However, in the process of seducing the married woman, Valmont falls in love.

“As unpredictable as love itself.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Colin Firth
Valmont
Annette Bening
Merteuil
Meg Tilly
Madame de Tourvel
Fairuza Balk
Cécile
Siân Phillips
Madame de Volanges
Jeffrey Jones
Gercourt
Henry Thomas
Danceny
Fabia Drake
Madame de Rosemonde

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Miloš Forman
Writers: Jean-Claude Carrière
Languages: English
Countries: France, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 3% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Miloš Forman, shot by Miroslav Ondříček. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Christopher Palmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Nena Danevic shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Colin Firth and Annette Bening and Meg Tilly carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "As unpredictable as love itself.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Miloš Forman directs. Miroslav Ondříček behind the camera. Christopher Palmer scores. Nena Danevic cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in France, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 3% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: France, United Kingdom.
4Directed by Miloš Forman, shot by Miroslav Ondříček. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Christopher Palmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Nena Danevic shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Colin Firth and Annette Bening and Meg Tilly carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "As unpredictable as love itself.".
9IMDB entry: tt0098575 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 12 themes, including "paris, france", "based on novel or book", "arranged marriage", "seduction".