Skip to content
Molière pour rire et pour pleurer poster

Molière pour rire et pour pleurer

Where laughter becomes a weapon, and the stage becomes fate.

Series1973Limited seriesEnded

DramaComedyDocumentaryFamily
Not rated

Where to watch

Details

Creator
Marcel Camus
Language
French
Episodes
6
Episode length
55m

Community score

9.52 votes on TMDB

Confidence

Rating weighted by how many people voted

6.4

The story

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.

Cast

  • Jean-Pierre Darras
    Jean-Pierre DarrasMolière
  • Caroline Cellier
    Caroline CellierAmande
  • Marianne Comtell
    Marianne ComtellMadeleine Béjart
  • Roger Miremont
    Roger MiremontMolière jeune