The Daily Bulletin Archive

The Alliance Française and the Modern and Classical Languages Department at Buffalo State will present the lecture “Libertinage and Politics in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Choderlos de Laclos’ Cultural Icon” by Rafika Merini, associate professor, on Wednesday, April 30, at 7:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication East. The lecture will be followed by a viewing of excerpts of three screen adaptations of the famous epistolary novel and a discussion. All adaptations will be shown in French with English subtitles.

Dangerous Liaisons is "the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two rivals (and ex-lovers) who use seduction and power as weapons to humiliate and degrade others, all the while enjoying their cruel games and boasting about their manipulative talents. It has been claimed to depict the decadence of the French aristocracy shortly before the French Revolution, thereby exposing the perversions of the so-called Ancien Régime.... The Vicomte de Valmont is determined to seduce the virtuous, married, and therefore inaccessible Madame de Tourvel. At the same time, the Marquise de Merteuil is determined to corrupt the young Cécile de Volanges, in an act of revenge on her previous lover, who has rudely discarded her. Cécile falls in love with the her young music tutor, and Merteuil and Valmont pretend to help the secret lovers in order to gain their trust and use them later in their own schemes." (Source: Wikipedia) The rest to follow!

This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Contact Maggie Roston, lecturer in the Modern and Classical Languages Department, with questions.