Is Les liaisons dangereuses woke?
Dangerous Liaisons (1959)
Movie
Released: January 1, 1959
Wokeness Score
0/10
Not woke
No political or woke messaging whatsoever. Focuses entirely on story, characters, fun, or escapism.
Key Summary Points
- Pure focus on aristocratic seduction, betrayal, and personal intrigue with no social justice themes.
- Story driven by individual desires, power games, and moral consequences without identity politics.
- 1959 adaptation emphasizes entertainment, romance, and drama over any political or progressive commentary.
Wokeness Analysis
The 1959 French film Les Liaisons dangereuses, directed by Roger Vadim and based on the 1782 novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, is a period drama centered on aristocratic intrigue, seduction, and betrayal in contemporary France. It explores themes of libertinism, desire, power struggles, and moral decay through the married couple Valmont and Juliette, who orchestrate affairs for amusement until genuine emotion disrupts their game. The story features seduction of an innocent young woman, extramarital affairs, jealousy, and tragic consequences including violence and heartbreak, all driven by personal ambition and hedonism. No elements of progressive social or political messaging, diversity representation, identity politics, or social commentary on marginalized groups appear in the plot, characters, or direction. The narrative focuses entirely on character-driven drama, romantic entanglements, and the consequences of cynical manipulation in a sophisticated elite society. Released in 1959, the film predates modern ideological frameworks and prioritizes entertainment through its scandalous story, strong performances by Gérard Philipe and Jeanne Moreau, and stylish adaptation without any didactic intent or forced messaging. Analyses of the source material highlight critiques of pre-revolutionary aristocracy and libertine excess, but the film adaptation remains a straightforward, non-ideological exploration of human folly and passion.
Plot
In present-day France, sophisticated married couple Valmont and Juliette de Merteuil engage in extramarital affairs to keep their relationship exciting, sharing details but never falling in love. When Juliette's lover leaves her for the chaste 16-year-old Cecile, she seeks revenge by tasking Valmont with seducing the girl at a ski resort. Valmont succeeds through blackmail but then genuinely falls for another woman, Marianne, leading to complications, betrayal, and tragic outcomes including violence. The film, a loose adaptation of the classic novel, highlights the dangers of cynical libertinism and emotional entanglements among the French elite.