PARIS (AP) — With his hulking frame and volcanic charisma, Gérard Depardieu reigned over French cinema for half a century, a national icon as familiar as the baguette.

But this week, the actor who once inspired writer John Updike to lament that “I think that I shall never view a French film without Depardieu” sat slumped in a Paris courtroom.

He faces two counts of sexual assault. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros ($81,000).

But more than Depardieu is on trial.

For many in France, the case marks a cultural reckoning. Can a nation famed for its culture of seduction — and long criticized for shielding male artists — hold one of them accountable?

The fall of a giant

Depardieu, 76, is accused of groping two women — a set dresser and an assistant — during the 2021 filming of “Les Volets Verts,” or “The Green Shutters”. According to complaints and witness statements, he trapped one woman with his legs, grabbed her breasts and waist and shouted crude innuendo followed by a vulgar come-on.

He denies all allegations. “Never, but never, have I abused a woman,” he wrote in Le Figaro. “I have only ever been guilty of being too loving, too generous, or having a temperament that is too strong.”

This is the first time one of the more than 20 accusations against him has reached court.

Once a symbol of France’s creative power, Depardieu now represents the nation’s delayed reckoning with #MeToo. The courtroom has become the stage for a country confronting the myths it has told itself about art and powerful men.

A life of extremes

Depardieu’s rise was the stuff of legend. Born in 1948 to a working-class family in Châteauroux, he was a stuttering teen with no formal education. He drifted into acting and exploded onto the French stage with “Les Valseuses,” or “Going Places”, a 1974 film so provocative it remains banned in some countries.

A blur of hits followed: “Jean de Florette,” “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “Green Card,” “The Last Metro,” “Danton.” He received a Golden Globe, an Oscar nomination and the adoration of millions. He was messy, magnetic and untouchable.

But the excess was real off-screen, too. He crashed his motorcycle while drunk, accepted a Russian passport from Vladimir Putin during a tax dispute and once urinated in a plane aisle. He boasted of his appetites.

France seemed to cheer them on.

The unfinished revolution

In Hollywood, #MeToo toppled titans. In France, the movement was met with a wary eye. When #BalanceTonPorc, or “Expose Your Pig” emerged in 2017, it rattled the country’s self-image — particularly in the arts, where seduction and transgression had long been celebrated.

Some warned that #MeToo was killing romance. In 2018, screen legend Catherine Deneuve and 99 other prominent French women published an open letter in Le Monde, scolding the movement for going “too far.” They championed la liberté d’importuner — “the freedom to bother” — as a pillar of French life, defending the right of men to pursue women without fear of consequence.

To many, it sounded less like a defense of flirtation than a permission slip for harassment, cloaked in perfume and nostalgia.

Even President Emmanuel Macron echoed the sentiment. In December 2023 — shortly after a documentary aired footage of Depardieu making sexually suggestive comments about a young girl in North Korea — Macron defended the actor on national television, condemning the backlash as a “manhunt.”

“Gérard Depardieu makes France proud,” Macron said.

The remark sparked outrage over the instinct to protect cultural giants, no matter the cost. Weeks later, Macron expressed his “regret” about the comments. It’s important “for women who are victims of abuse to speak out,” he said.

A safe haven for the famous

France’s reluctance to confront sexual misconduct by its stars has long set it apart.

Roman Polanski, convicted of statutory rape in the U.S. and accused by several other women, continues to work and live freely in France. In 2020, his César Award win prompted walkouts but also a standing ovation.

In 2022, Johnny Depp was dropped from Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise after domestic abuse allegations by ex-wife Amber Heard. He was largely vindicated.

In France, Depp was embraced. In 2023, he played Louis XV in “Jeanne du Barry,” the opening film at the Cannes Film Festival. Dior kept him on as the face of its Sauvage fragrance.

A cultural earthquake

High-profile convictions in recent months suggest that the shield of fame may finally be cracking.

In February, director Christophe Ruggia was convicted of sexually abusing actress Adele Haenel when she was a child. Actor-director Nicolas Bedos was sentenced in 2024 for sexual assault.

And actor-director Judith Godrèche testified before a parliamentary commission, accusing two renowned directors of exploiting her as a teenager. “This is not about desire,” she told lawmakers. “It’s about power. About silence. About a system that protects itself.”

The commission has since summoned major actors — including Jean Dujardin of “The Artist” fame. Some reportedly asked to testify behind closed doors.

The reckoning

Anouk Grinberg, who appeared in “Les Volets Verts,” has publicly supported the two women accusing Depardieu. “What I saw on set was not seduction,” she said. “It was shameful.”

On Parisian sidewalks, opinions diverge. “We’re losing our culture of flirtation,” said Alain Morel, 62, sipping an espresso near the Arc de Triomphe. “Flirting isn’t a crime — it’s part of who we are.”

But across the street, 28-year-old student Yasmine Bensalem shook her head. “We called it charm,” she said. “But it was always about power.”