Bel-Ami ([bɛlami], "Dear Friend") is the second novel by French author Guy de Maupassant, published in 1885; an English translation titled Bel Ami, or, The History of a Scoundrel: A Novel first appeared in 1903. The story chronicles journalist Georges Duroy's corrupt rise to power from a poor former cavalry NCO in France's African colonies, to one of the most successful men in Paris, most of which he achieves by manipulating a series of powerful, intelligent, and wealthy women.
Adaptations (2)
Bel-Ami has been adapted into 2 films, from 1947 to 2012. The most recent is Bel Ami (2012).
The Private Affairs of Bel Ami1947 · film · 112 min · dir. Albert Lewin · IMDb ↗IMDb6.7A self-serving journalist uses influential women in late-1800s Paris and denies the one who truly loves him.
Bel Ami2012 · film · 102 min · dir. Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod · IMDb ↗Georges Duroy travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth, from a prostitute’s embrace to passionate trysts with wealthy beauties, in a world where politics and media jostle for influence, where sex is power and celebrity an obsession.
