Vicomte de Valmont quotes from Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Vicomte de Valmont

And it's not that I want to have you. All I want is to deserve you.

Vicomte de Valmont

I often wonder how you manage to invent yourself.

Marquise de Merteuil

Well, I had no choice, did I? I'm a woman. Women are obliged to be far more skillful than men. You can ruin our reputation and our life with a few well-chosen words. So, of course, I had to invent not only myself, but ways of escape no one has ever thought of before. And I've succeeded because I've known I was always born to dominate your sex and avenge my own.

Vicomte de Valmont

Yes, but what I asked was how.

Marquise de Merteuil

When I came out into society, I was fifteen. I already knew that the role I was condemned to, namely to keep quiet and do what I was told, gave me the perfect opportunity to listen and observe. Not to what people told me, which naturally was of no interest, but to whatever it was they were trying to hide. I practiced detachment. I learned how to look cheerful while, under the table, I stuck a fork into the back of my hand. I became a virtuoso of deceit. It wasn't pleasure I was after, it was knowledge. I consulted the strictest moralists to learn how to appear, philosophers to find out what to think, and novelists to see what I could get away with. And in the end, I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die.

Marquise de Merteuil

I don't think you can hope for any actual pleasure.

Vicomte de Valmont

Oh, yes. You see, I have no intention of breaking down her prejudices. I want her to believe in God and virtue and the sanctity of marriage, and still not be able to stop herself. I want the excitement of watching her betray everything that's is most important to her. Surely you understand that. I thought betrayal was your favorite word.

Marquise de Merteuil

No, no. "Cruelty". I always think that has a nobler ring to it.

Vicomte de Valmont

Surely I've explained to you before how much I enjoy watching the battle between love and virtue.

Marquise de Merteuil

What concerns me is that you seem to enjoy watching it much more than you used to enjoy winning it.

Vicomte de Valmont

All in good time.

Marquise de Merteuil

The century is drawing to its close.

Vicomte de Valmont

Why do you suppose we only feel compelled to chase the ones who run away?

Marquise de Merteuil

Immaturity?

Vicomte de Valmont

Now, yes or no? It is up to you, of course. I will merely confine myself to remarking that a "no" will be regarded as a declaration of war. A single word is all that is required.

Marquise de Merteuil

All right: war!

I'm beginning to think you may have planned the whole exercise.

Vicomte de Valmont

I had no idea you were staying here! Not that it would have disturbed me in the slightest if I had known. You see, until I met you, I had only ever experienced desire. Love, never.

That's enough.

Vicomte de Valmont

No, no, you made an accusation and you must allow me the opportunity to defend myself! Now, I'm not going to deny that I was aware of your beauty. But the point is, this has nothing to do with your beauty. As I got to know you, I began to realize that beauty was the least of your qualities. I became fascinated by your goodness. I was drawn in by it. I didn't understand what was happening to me. And it was only when I began to feel actual, physical pain every time you left the room that it finally dawned on me: I was in love, for the first time in my life. I knew it was hopeless, but that didn't matter to me. And it's not that I want to have you. All I want is to deserve you. Tell me what to do. Show me how to behave. I'll do anything you say.