History 52'

The Bovary case

1856: Gustave Flaubert has Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners published in the Revue de Paris. After a month, he was dragged before the courts for "offense to public and religious morality and to good morals" and risk one year in jail.

More than 150 years after, Madame Bovary’s depiction of desire, disaffection and love is as poignant now as it was then, and this debut novel, considered as Flaubert's masterpiece, has become one of the most influential literary works in history.

Through archive footage and with the help of experts, this docudrama brings to life a striking trial that made Emma Bovary a universal heroine, and revealed a lot about censorship and free speech still ongoing issues.

Direction: Stéphane Miquel & Alban Vian

Production: Keren Production for France Télévisions

Languages: French, English

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The Bovary case

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