Stand by · pulling the latest frames
Stand by · pulling the latest frames


Molière pour rire et pour pleurer recounts the life of Jean‑Baptiste Poquelin, from his childhood in an artisan family to his rise as Molière, a central figure of French theatre. The series shows his difficult decision to abandon the family trade and join Madeleine Béjart to found L’Illustre Théâtre, marked by debts and repeated setbacks. While touring the provinces, he shapes his style and discovers the power of comedy. Back in Paris, he makes a name for himself with Les Précieuses ridicules, but his sharp satires provoke fierce opposition, especially during the Tartuffe scandal. Supported by Louis XIV, he continues despite attacks, literary rivalries, and tensions within his troupe, particularly with Armande Béjart. The miniseries also follows his growing exhaustion, his determination to perform at any cost, and his final breath after Le Malade imaginaire, the ultimate symbol of an artist who lived — and died — for the stage.
9.5
Score
2
Marcel Camus
ORTF Télévision, ORTF Télévision 2
“Where laughter becomes a weapon, and the stage becomes fate.”

Christian Parisy
Louis Béjart adulte

Michèle Grellier
Catherine de Brie

Denis Manuel
Louis XIV

Wolfgang Weiser
de Brie

Maud Rayer
Geneviève Béjart

Sarah Sanders
Marquise du Parc

Louis Seigner
Poquelin père

Dalès
Montfleury

Paul Mercey
Monsieur de Ratabon

Jean-Marie Robain
Donneau de Vize

Michel Aumont
Du Croisy

Jean-Paul Moulinot
Monsieur de Lamoignon

Pinkas Braun
Abbé Roulle

Gabrielle Doulcet
La Forest

Alice Sapritch
Madame Béjart