In 1789, the people of France enter into the French Revolution. Among those who join the rallying cries for change are Louis-Joseph Henri (
Olivier Gourmet), brooding outsider Basile (
Gaspard Ulliel) and laundress-turned-political activist Françoise (
Adèle Haenel).
In an effort to dethrone King Louis XVI (Laurent Lafitte), the people storm the Bastille, tearing down blocks of the notorious prison. A Women’s March on Versailles takes place during a rainstorm to demand basics such as bread, wheat and rights. The king signs the civil rights document "Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen," but for him, it's too late. His fate has already been decided.