The cinematic adaptation of the eponymous letter novel, published in 1782 by Choderlos de Laclos, by Roger Vadim, due to the censorship and criticism it suffered, became something of a legend at the time it was finally released. Vadim provocatively adapted the book to the bohemian Paris of the 1950s. Starring Jeanne Moreau and Gérard Phillipe, a sexually promiscuous couple cynically indulge in games of seduction, pleasure and power. The film's universe was perfect for co-star Boris Vian, not only for the eroticism but also for the jazz music of Thelonious Monk and other jazz virtuosos. The untimely deaths of Philippe and Vian also contributed to the film’s legend. Vian completed his last scene in the film a few weeks before his tragic premature death from a heart attack. Ironically, when asked if he can find the way out, he answers "par coeur" [“by heart”].
Roger Vadim
French-born film director Roger Vadim (1928-2000) broke ground in the 1950s by pushing the boundaries of mainstream European art films to include more sensuality. Vadim became more renowned for the female actors he cast in his lushly photographed films than for his technical and artistic achievements, but he is credited with being one of the early instigators of the French New Wave. He directed, among others, his successive wives in the films “And God Created Woman” (1956) with Brigitte Bardot, “Vice And Virtue”(1963) with Catherine Deneuve and “Barbarella”(1968) with Jane Fonda.
