Valmont (1989)
Annette Bening: Merteuil
Photos
Quotes
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Madame de Volanges : Did I show you the cabinet I gave Cecile? It's an exquisite piece. Well, I told her: "You can lock all your secrets in there." Do you know what she said? "Maman, you know it will never be locked." Isn't that the sweetest thing a daughter can say to her mother?
Mertuil : Oh! Yes, yes.
Madame de Volanges : Well, it's locked.
Mertuil : Oh.
Madame de Volanges : I have a duplicate key of course.
Mertuil : Of course.
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Madame de Rosemonde : Ah, my sweet girl. If I understand what these people have been saying, you have a dilemma.
Cecile : I do?
Madame de Rosemonde : Tell me, if it were up to you, would you rather marry that Monsieur de... eh...
Mertuil : Gercourt.
Madame de Rosemonde : Exactly, Gercourt. Or the other one? The one with the harp.
Cecile : Well, I... I... I'll do whatever my Maman wants me to do.
Valmont : But that is not what my aunt is asking you. Forget Maman. If you had the choice, who would you pick? You, yourself?
Cecile : Oh! I... I... I guess I would marry Monsieur de Gercourt, and... keep Monsieur Danceny for a lover?
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Mertuil : [to Valmont] You must have a lot of courage, Visconte, to come here after you sent that lunatic harp teacher to kill me.
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Mertuil : Cecile, if you allow your hand to be held too long, men will take it as an encouragement.
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Mertuil : It's really sweet to see Cecile so excited about her marriage.
Madame de Volanges : Oh, yes, yes. She's excited, very excited. It almost has me worried.
Mertuil : Why?
Madame de Volanges : Well, she's been at that convent since she was *eleven*. She's so innocent. So unprepared.
Mertuil : Well, as long as her husband doesn't mind.
Madame de Volanges : Oh, no! On the contrary, he seems obsessed by her purity and virginity.
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Mertuil : Cecile, that man is very bad for a young lady's reputation. Your mother shouldn't even know he was in our box.
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Madame de Volanges : Oh, my dear. I'd love you to spend some time with Cecile. She could learn so much from you. I want her to enter this marriage as innocent as she is - and as wise as you are.
Mertuil : Oh, you flatter me.
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Mertuil : You know, little Cecile, she - she reminds me so much of myself when I was 15. She's naive, innocent, - pure.
Valmont : Yes?
Mertuil : I want you to put an end to it. I want you to take her virginity. I want Gercourt to discover on his wedding night, that he didn't get there first. I want to make him the laughingstock of Paris.
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Madame de Volanges : Do you know what I found? Letters. Love letters.
Mertuil : From?
Madame de Volanges : From her miserable music teacher.
Mertuil : That little boy?
Madame de Volanges : That little snake!
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Valmont : What do you want to wager?
Mertuil : Anything you want.
Valmont : You. Your body.
Mertuil : And if you lose?
Valmont : Anything you want.
Mertuil : I want you to shut yourself in a monastery, anoint yourself with ashes and repent for all your sins.
Valmont : I accept.
Mertuil : Good night, my little monk. I'm afraid you'll be very lonely. Remember me in your prayers sometime.
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Mertuil : It seems to me, Vicomte, that you believe one thing in Paris and another in the country.
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Madame de Tourvel : Monsieur de Valmont, I know some women might be weak, but, believe me, there are women who will always be true.
Baron : Nonsense! A true woman is a contradiction in terms.
Valmont : Not always. I believe that some women stay true. I find them fascinating.
Mertuil : Men usually do.
Madame de Tourvel : I've noticed that.
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Mertuil : What a nincompoop!