The Libertine (2000)

Set in the intellectual ferment of 18th-century France, The Libertine follows the life of Denis Diderot, a philosopher and a leading figure of the Enlightenment. Amidst the elegant halls of the aristocratic Baron of Holbach's rural estate, a clandestine operation is underway - the printing of the subversive Encyclopédie, their voices harmonizing with the resonant tones of Jewish assistant Abraham's organ. A new influence arrives in the form of Madame Therbouche, a provocatively charming painter from the cultural hub of Berlin. Coaxing Diderot into a daring pose, she captures him in the nude, much more audaciously than his idol, Voltaire. This scandalous tableau ignites a fierce dispute with his wife, Antoinette, and the estate turns into a stage for their naked confrontation. The drama escalates when their forbidden activities are almost exposed by an unexpected visitor - the Baron's brother, a Cardinal, hunting for the illicit printers. To distract him, the Baroness, a connoisseur of exotic foods and risqué art, confesses her real and fabricated sins. The confession turns into a spectacle when the women of the estate, followed by the Marquis de Jerfeuil, join in. The Marquis, however, gets more than he bargained for when he is shown a rather unconventional 'sabre collection'. Pushing the boundaries of hospitality is the freeman Turkish eunuch, Mohamed, whose intimate services for the female guests raise eyebrows and blushes. Amidst all this, Diderot's personal experiences continually reshape his philosophical understanding of morality, affecting his writing profoundly. As the plot unfolds, secrets are revealed - the portraitist's true intentions, the clandestine happenings within the chapel, and the unsettling confessions of sins to the Cardinal. Darkly humorous and intensely provocative, The Libertine is a cinematic exploration of the quest for knowledge, freedom, and morality in a world bound by tradition and propriety.

The Libertine is a comedy movie featuring Vincent Perez.

The Libertine is currently streaming on OVID.

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