Who was Moliere? He is known everywhere as one of the world's greatest playwrights. But who was he? Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in 1622, the son of a prosperous tapestry maker. His mother ... See full summary »
Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends.
If your account is linked with Facebook and you have turned on sharing, this will show up in your activity feed. If not, you can turn on sharing
here
.
Who was Moliere? He is known everywhere as one of the world's greatest playwrights. But who was he? Born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin in 1622, the son of a prosperous tapestry maker. His mother died when he was a boy. Growing up in the teeming streets of 17th century Paris, Jean Baptiste received a good Jesuit education and was fascinated by the street fairs and traveling carnivals that flourished in spite of the religious repression and hypocrisy of those cruel times. As a young man he joined the theatrical Bejart family to establish the Illustre-Theatre, which soon went bankrupt. The troupe reformed, found patronage, and went on the road for thirteen years, performing all over France. Poquelin developed his stagecraft adapting Commedia dell Arte plots to please brutalized peasants and cynical townspeople. He also married Madeline Bejart, the widowed daughter of the troupe's founder. Later he entered into a love affair with Mme Bejart's daughter, to the dismay of all. The troupe eventually... Written by
John Christopher <johnpickman@excite.com> revised by John Chapot
on eBay, of course. It was in French, and for sale in Canada. I saw this film twice on PBS in the very early 80s and still cannot get it out of my mind. The production is great, and the story absolutely fascinating, and tells the story of Moliere's life from beginning to end. It was shown with subtitles that were done very well in a way that did not distract visually. If it is ever shown again, do not miss it! The last time I contacted PBS, they said they did not have access to it anymore and didn't know when they would. It is hard to believe that this beautiful movie seems to be in obscurity, but I will continue to hunt for it.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
on eBay, of course. It was in French, and for sale in Canada. I saw this film twice on PBS in the very early 80s and still cannot get it out of my mind. The production is great, and the story absolutely fascinating, and tells the story of Moliere's life from beginning to end. It was shown with subtitles that were done very well in a way that did not distract visually. If it is ever shown again, do not miss it! The last time I contacted PBS, they said they did not have access to it anymore and didn't know when they would. It is hard to believe that this beautiful movie seems to be in obscurity, but I will continue to hunt for it.