1848, Paris under Siege: Victor Hugo is torn between his family, his mistresses and political turmoil - never mind finally completing his classic novel Les Miserables. Although Hugo is a confirmed Royalist, he supports the Republic and Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, who is soon to become president, convinced that he will initiate social reforms. But when the new government is formed...
1792. Far from the epicentre of the French Revolution, the monastery of young monk Gabriel is requisitioned by the revolutionary troops to serve as barracks. The new ideas Gabriel discovers through the forced cohabitation between monks and soldiers don't leave him indifferent.
马可(贝诺特·波尔沃尔德 Benot Poelvoorde 饰)在一次出差时因为误了火车而邂逅了名为西尔维(夏洛特·甘斯布 Charlotte Gainsbourg 饰)的美丽女子,两人相见恨晚,在临别之际,他们约定日后在巴黎见面,可是两人既没有交换电话亦没有留下姓名,这段缘分在阴差阳错之下被尘封在了时间的记忆之中。
马可一直没有忘记西尔维,他旧地重游,希望能够得到西尔维的消息。之后,马可结识了古董商索菲(基娅拉·马斯特洛亚尼 Chiara Mastroianni 饰),后者的独立与知性深深的吸引着马可。随着时间的推移,他们走到了一起,并且决定携手步入婚礼的殿堂,然而,就在这个节骨眼上,马可震惊的发现,索菲竟然是西尔维的姐姐。