A princess in pants seduces an entire household to steal a throne. Classic French chaos.
First performed in 1732, Marivaux's play on the theme of cross-dressing, depicts the stratagems of the young princess Léonide in love with Agis, the legitimate heir to the throne of Sparta. To meet the prince, watched over by the philosopher Hermocrates and his sister, Léonide disguises herself as a man and seduces the whole household.
Acting
Michel Aumont's stuffy philosopher slowly losing to desire.
Production
Sumptuous period staging of Marivaux's theatrical original.
Director
Édouard Logereau
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Marivaux invented 'marivaudage'—a specific French term for his brand of intricate, emotionally intelligent wordplay that this film preserves.
The 1732 premiere scandalized Paris by having a woman (not a boy actor) play the cross-dressing princess, blurring reality and performance.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
FR
