Le Libertin
Encyclopedia
Le Libertin is a French film, a comedy, directed by Gabriel Aghion
, released in 2000. It is an adaptation of a 1997 play by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
.
, one of the modernists of the French 18th century Age of Enlightenment
movement, is a guest at the rural castle of the Baron Holbach, and prints in hiding in the chapel his forbidden Encyclopédie
, drowning the noise of the presses in Jewish assistant Abraham's organ playing.
Then arrives from Berlin, Madame Therbouche, a flirtatious painter and intrigante. She has made a painting of Diderot's idol, fellow-philosopher Voltaire
, and convinces him to be more daring and to pose for her in the nude, leading to an animated row with his wife Antoinette. The scene is witnessed by a feared visitor, Baron Holbach's brother, the Cardinal, who is hunting for the illegal Encyclopédie printers. To divert him, the Baroness confesses to him her real and imagined sins and next send every female of the castle to do the same, notably her guest the depraved Madame de Jerfeuil, who is having a lesbian affair with her cousin, later joined spontaneously by her husband the Chevalier de Jerfeuil, who had just been seduced by two male guests of the Baron, the Marquis de Cambrol and the Marquis de Lutz.
Through it all, Diderot's ideas keep changing about the article he is working on, morality
. Eventually secrets end up getting out, both the painter's true agenda (she is a thief) and what is going on in the chapel, while the Cardinal "recollects" himself after hearing so many lustful sins!
Gabriel Aghion
-Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine * Bras de Fer * Rue du Bac * Pédale douce -Biography:He was born in Alexandria, in Egypt on 30 December 1955.-Filmography:* La Scarlatine (1983)* Bras de Fer (1985)* Rue du Bac (1990)* Pédale douce...
, released in 2000. It is an adaptation of a 1997 play by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt is a French dramatist, novelist and fiction writer. His plays have been staged in over fifty countries all over the world.- Life :...
.
Synopsis
The philosopher Denis DiderotDenis Diderot
Denis Diderot was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent person during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder and chief editor of and contributor to the Encyclopédie....
, one of the modernists of the French 18th century Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
movement, is a guest at the rural castle of the Baron Holbach, and prints in hiding in the chapel his forbidden Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
, drowning the noise of the presses in Jewish assistant Abraham's organ playing.
Then arrives from Berlin, Madame Therbouche, a flirtatious painter and intrigante. She has made a painting of Diderot's idol, fellow-philosopher Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
, and convinces him to be more daring and to pose for her in the nude, leading to an animated row with his wife Antoinette. The scene is witnessed by a feared visitor, Baron Holbach's brother, the Cardinal, who is hunting for the illegal Encyclopédie printers. To divert him, the Baroness confesses to him her real and imagined sins and next send every female of the castle to do the same, notably her guest the depraved Madame de Jerfeuil, who is having a lesbian affair with her cousin, later joined spontaneously by her husband the Chevalier de Jerfeuil, who had just been seduced by two male guests of the Baron, the Marquis de Cambrol and the Marquis de Lutz.
Through it all, Diderot's ideas keep changing about the article he is working on, morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
. Eventually secrets end up getting out, both the painter's true agenda (she is a thief) and what is going on in the chapel, while the Cardinal "recollects" himself after hearing so many lustful sins!
Cast
- Denis Diderot - Vincent PérezVincent PérezVincent Pérez is a Swiss-born French speaking actor and director. He is best known internationally for playing the title character Ashe Corven in The Crow: City of Angels, and for starring in Queen of the Damned, playing Marius de Romanus...
- Antoinette Diderot - Françoise Lépine
- Madame Therbouche - Fanny ArdantFanny ArdantFanny Marguerite Judith Ardant is a French actress. She has appeared in more than fifty motion pictures since 1976. Ardant won the César Award for Best Actress in 1997 for her performance in Pédale douce.-Early life:...
- Baron Holbach - François Lalande
- Baroness Holbach - Josiane BalaskoJosiane BalaskoJosiane Balasko is a French actress, writer and director.She was born Josiane Balašković in Paris. One of Balasko's most recognized roles among English speakers is as a lesbian in 1995's Gazon maudit...
- The Cardinal - Michel SerraultMichel SerraultMichel Serrault was a celebrated French actor who appeared in over 150 films.-Biography :...
- Chevalier de Jerfeuil - Christian Charmetant
- Madame de Jerfeuil - Arielle DombasleArielle DombasleArielle Dombasle is a French-American singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough roles were in Éric Rohmer's Pauline at the Beach and Alain Robbe-Grillet's The Blue Villa...
- Marquis de Cambrol - Bruno TodeschiniBruno TodeschiniBruno Todeschini is a Swiss actor.Todeschini studied at L'école supérieure d'art dramatique in Genève and after graduating in 1986, he joined the Théàtre des Amandiers in Nanterre, directed by Patrice Chéreau....
- Marquis de Lutz - Arnaud Lemaire
- The cousin of Madame de Jerfeuil - Véronique Vella
- Abraham - Yan Duffas