Beaumarchais (film)

Beaumarchais l'Insolent (released in the United States as Beaumarchais the Scoundrel) is a 1996 French biographical film directed by Édouard Molinaro. The film stars Fabrice Luchini as Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, the multi-talented French playwright, inventor, musician, diplomat, spy, publisher, horticulturist, arms dealer, satirist, financier, and revolutionary.

The film chronicles Beaumarchais's life, focusing on his rise to prominence, his involvement in the American Revolution (selling arms to the American colonists), his famous plays The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro, his legal battles, and his complex relationship with the French aristocracy and the monarchy. The screenplay was written by Jean-Claude Brisville, Édouard Molinaro, and Jean-Claude Carrière, and is based on historical accounts and Beaumarchais's own writings.

The film is notable for its large cast, period detail, and Luchini's energetic portrayal of the flamboyant and controversial Beaumarchais. It received generally positive reviews for its acting, production values, and historical accuracy, although some critics found the pacing uneven.