LE GÉNIE QUI DÉTRUISAIT LES FEMMES QU’IL AIMAIT : JEAN RACINE

In 1679, a poisoner was tortured in the cellars of the Châtelet. In agony, she uttered an unexpected name: Jean Racine. France's greatest poet, a friend of the King, accused of poisoning his own mistress. This story is true. The documents exist. Louis XIV had them sealed away for 150 years. Who was Jean Racine really? The orphan who became a genius. The seducer who destroyed two women. The traitor who abandoned Molière. The father of a secret child who died at the age of eight. The man who wrote Phèdre—perhaps with blood on his hands. In this documentary, we trace the thread of an extraordinary life: from Port-Royal to the salons of Versailles, from the arms of Thérèse Du Parc to his final disgrace. Scandals, betrayals, forbidden passions—and at the end, an unanswered question: guilty or innocent? This was the story of Jean Racine. Orphan, seducer, perhaps murderer, certainly a genius. Dive into the tragic and fascinating destiny of a giant of French art, whose life was a whirlwind of genius, passion, and torment. This video offers a personal and deeply immersive look at his journey, based on verified historical facts, authentic correspondence, contemporary accounts, archives, and official documents. However, this story is not simply a biography: it is an author's vision that dares to interpret silences, reconstruct forgotten scenes, and give voice to buried emotions. Through elements of artistic reconstruction, recreated atmospheres, and dramatic narration, we attempt to bring to life the tormented soul of this artist, his triumphs as well as his depths. This is not an absolute truth, but an invitation to feel the intensity of an extraordinary life. Subscribe so you don't miss any of the lives that have shaped the history of French art.