French drama in which a handsome young general, Armand de Montriveau (Guillaume Depardieu), searches across the seas for the woman he fell madly in love with five years ago. He finally finds Antoinette (Jeanne Balibar), the Duchess of Langeais, living chastely in a Majorcan convent. It was love at first sight for Montriveau upon meeting Antoinette, a married coquette who frequented the most extravagant balls of 1820s Restoration Paris, where hypocrisy and vanity reigned. Flattered by his attentions, the alluring Antoinette orchestrated a calculating game of seduction, but repeatedly refused Montriveau. Despite his sincere romantic declarations, Montriveau's passion remains unfulfilled. When the humiliated Montriveau eventually seeks his revenge, Antoinette's love awakens. But it may well be too late for the starcrossed lovers.