Molière

The School For Wives, at its core, is about gender power dynamics. We are looking forward to telling this classic 17th century French tale through the lens of a contemporary aesthetic and an all female, primarly non-white cast to further bring into focus the inherent power of justice and equality over racism and sexism. Furthermore, by casting a Black woman in the central role of ARNOLPHE - a white man of power and privilege, who is forced to realize that he cannot control or snuff out ANYONE's humanity - we are shining a light on the ultimate absurdity of similar American systems of oppression.

Alceste loves Célimène, a flirtatious woman from the Parisian high society. He loathes this world for its hypocritical etiquette but, shaken by a public trial he is called to by this social circle, he must visit Célimène to ask for her help…

Woman hero Dom Juan lives a life full of excesses and love affairs. When he seduces the nun Elvire, but shows no interest in her a short time later, he gets to deal with her vengeful brothers. Dom Juan and his assistant Sganarelle have to flee and set out on a journey full of strange encounters.

5.7/10

Spain in the mid-seventeenth century. A series of bloody wars has ravaged the nation. Don Juan the nobleman and his valet, Sganarelle, roam the countryside on horseback, on the run and lost.

4.8/10

Tartuffe is a cheeky cheater and traitor who succeeds in fooling and terrorizing Orgon and his family.

5.1/10

While the last remnants of the Empire are extinguishing and King Philip II (1559-1598) is dying in the shadow of lost splendor, a man, defying the divine and human justice, turns his passions into fate and his will into law. His fame is as great as his pride. His conviction, eternal. His name, a legend: Don Juan. Free adaptation of "Don Juan" by Moliere.

6.3/10

Misery money-lender Arpagone is looking to arrange three weddings simultaneously - to cut down on costs. One for himself and the others for his two children. Of course he doesn't approve of the choices his son and daughter have made and conspires to arrange more well to do spouses against their will. However, fate will prove itself to be on the side of true love, not of the greedy.

6.1/10

A series of dramas featuring staged theatre plays.

7.3/10

Orgon is a man of property duped by the false piety of the penniless Tartuffe. Orgon takes him into his house, believing him a paragon of virtue. Orgon orders his daughter to reject her fiancé and marry Tartuffe. First Dorine, the family servant, tries a strategy to avert the marriage; then Orgon's son tries his hand. They anger Orgon, and to prove paternal power, he disinherits his son and makes Tartuffe his heir. Next Orgon's wife tries to bring her husband insight, a stratagem that partially backfires. With the bailiff at the door ordering Orgon to vacate his own home and with Tartuffe at court to prove Orgon's a traitor, all seems lost.

6.2/10

Royal Shakespeare Company's televised adaptation of Moliere's play with Antony Sher in the title role of Tartuffe.

7.7/10

The elderly Arnolphe has decided to marry a young woman, Agnes, whom he has fallen in love with. She is too young and innocent to realize what plans he has for her. But Agnes and Arnolphe's young friend, the dandy Horace, have fallen in love with each other. Their love is a threat to Arnolphe's attempt at getting married. Can the cunning Arnolphe stop them?

6.6/10

Based on Molière's play. The children of Harpagon, Cléante and his sister Elise, are each in love but they still haven't spoken to their father yet. Harpagon is a miser who wants to choose the right man and the right woman for his children. When Cléante, at last, tries to speak to Harpagon, the old man informs the family that he wants to marry Marianne, the young girl loved by Cléante. Unaware of his son's sorrow, Harpagon doesn't understand why Cléante has become so angry with him.

6.7/10

The hypochondriac Argan wants his daughter to marry a doctor so he can save on his medical bills.

6.3/10

A comedy divided in four episodes, set in different time periods, each starring a different couple, yet all facing the same issue: marital jealousy.

5.7/10

An eccentric recluse deals with his unfaithful wife, estranged daughter and doctor.

6.3/10

Donald Moffat stars in Moliere's classic comedy about lovable scoundrel Tartuffe, who befriends the wealthy Orgon and then attempts to seduce both his new friend's wife and daughter in this TV presentation from the Broadway Theatre Archive. Tartuffe pretends to be a pious man whose faith convinces Orgon and his family to succumb to his influence, but he's undone when his womanizing ways make it clear that his piety is a charade.

7/10

A filmed version of Molière's play.

Bergman took one of his favourite plays to Copenhagen for a guest performance, which was even broadcast on Danish TV. In his Copenhagen The Misanthrope, Bergman maintained a dual approach. On the one hand, a production of Molière's play as a theatrical game performed in style and intellectually conceived; on the other hand, an exposure, through physical and psychological intensity, of the emotional tragedy in which Alceste and Celemine are both victims. Expectations were high prior to Bergman's production of The Misanthrope. A reviewer wrote, 'For the first time Molière's connection to the Danish stage is intercepted by a director whose forte is physiological tragedy, Strindberg over Holberg'. Many reviews had expected Bergman to put his very personal stamp on the production. Instead they experienced 'a clean Molière' and were struck by Bergman's faithfulness to the original mise-en-scene and to the classical rhythm of Molière's text.

7/10

A man makes clumsy attempts to marry his naive young ward.

8.4/10

Alceste hopes to be able to live his life without hypocrisy. However, he does not realize that social habits and the necessities of life do not fit the way of conceiving his existence.

This telefilm in black and white is diffused on the first French chain the November 6th 1965. It undoubtedly remains the most known adaptation of the Dom Juan of Molière.

7.7/10

György Dandin, the rich bourgeois concludes a marriage contract with the noblemen Lükeházy couple who has turned poor: he can marry their daughter in return of a regular financial contribution. Angyalka escapes the undesired husband at their very first night, and furthermore she establishes a secret romantic relationship with Count Klitander who suits her a lot better.

5.4/10

Alternate-language version of Amphitryon (1935).

6/10

Lamenting Thebian women are waiting for the men to come back from war. God Jupiter is attracted to one of them: Alkmene. He goes to earth and tries to seduce her as himself: an old man. Failing in this, he disguises himself as Amphitryon (Alkemene's husband) and tries again. Next morning Amphitryon and his men come back from war; he suspects adultery and wants a divorce. Jupiter's wife Juno now also comes to earth and clears things up.

6.4/10

Short romantic comedy directed by Douglas Sirk.

Young man shows his millionaire grandfather a film based on Molière's Tartuffe, in order to expose the old man's hypocritical governess who covets his own inheritance.

7.1/10
8.8%

The story of a young girl forced to marry an old Aga. Directed by Fuat Uzkinay and Sigmund Weinberg, it was the third film in Turkish history and had to be postponed until the end of WWI in 1918.

5.8/10