Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1959)

A married couple (Jeanne Moreau, Gerard Philipe) have an open marriage and indulge in extra marital affairs and discuss their conquests with each other after they've coldly ended the affair without any concern of the feelings of their partners. Based on the 1782 novel by Pierre Choderlos De Laclos and directed by Roger Vadim (AND GOD CREATED WOMAN). The De Laclos novel has been frequently adapted for film, television, the stage, opera and even ballet. This 1959 film was the first film incarnation of the book although Vadim updates the story to present day France. The screenplay tends to be overly verbose but that is compensated by the central performances and Vadim's stylish direction. The film is fortunate to have such actors as Moreau and Philipe as its main characters because their characters are reprehensible and immoral but the the charisma they engender make the film a compelling watch. Quite shocking for its day, the movie couldn't be exported because of its content even though it was a box office sensation in France but it wasn't until 1961 that the film got a U.S. release. The score is by jazz great Thelonious Monk. With Jean Louis Trintignant, Annette Vadim (looking like Brigitte Bardot), Jeanne Valerie, Madeleine Lambert and Nicolas Vogel.