Dangerous duo
The early years of devious French aristocrats CAMILLE AND VALMONT…
Dangerous Liaisons Available: Sunday 6 November Genre: Period drama Season: 1 Episodes: 8 (weekly)
PASSION, POWER STRUGGLES, and revenge are at the heart of this lavish new take on Dangerous Liaisons, the classic 18th-century French novel that inspired the 1988 movie starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich.
Set on the brink of the French revolution and starring Australian actors Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton, the eight-part series is an imagining of the early life of young lovers Camille and Valmont, and shows how they rose from the slums of Paris to become the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont.
DRIVEN
‘When we meet Valmont, he has had his title and wealth removed following his father’s death,’ explains Denton. ‘He has this viper-like side to him. He is totally driven and will do whatever he needs to get it back, but there is also a deep vulnerability.’
The series shows the pair manipulating both the nobility and each other to claw their way to the top, and reveals how their love affair turned into toxic rivalry.
‘In our version you see a young Valmont and Camille pitted against each other and you start to understand why they are the way they are,’ explains Denton.
Englert, the daughter of Oscar-winning director Jane Campion, adds: ‘When the series begins, Camille is working as a prostitute. We don’t know much about her past and there’s a lot of mystery.’
Filmed in Prague, which doubles as Paris, the series also stars Lesley Manville as married aristocrat Genevieve de Merteuil, who has been having a secret affair with Valmont. However, she is devastated to discover she’s been betrayed by her much younger lover and teams up with Camille to plot her revenge.
Meanwhile, singer Paloma Faith plays caustic socialite Florence de Regnier, another of Valmont’s many lovers.
‘At one point, Florence boots Valmont out of a carriage onto the streets when he’s completely naked,’ smiles Denton. ‘We had a lot of fun filming that scene.’