Lantenac, an aging French royal is summoned back home to stop Republican forces from gaining a foothold in Brittany. His great-nephew Gauvain, a Republican commander, is sent to stop him under the guidance of his childhood tutor, Cimourdain, a priest. A widowed mother and her three young children stumble into the midst of the epic battle. They are first adopted by a Republican regiment, who are then all but slaughtered by Lantenac's forces. When Lantenac's forces are in then forced to seek refuge in a tower of the family's castle, he orders his men to set the structure on fire after locking the children inside and then escape into the forest by a secret tunnel. When the children's mother arrives on the scene to hear her children crying for rescue, Lantenac returns with the only key to free the children. He is captured by Cimourdian after freeing the children, and put on trial. Before it can begin, Gauvain frees his great-uncle and takes his place in trial for treason. Cimourdain, who loves Gauvain like a son, must decide his fate. The revolutionary in him trumps the father figure and orders Gauvain's death. On the morning of the execution, one of the boys grabs a pistol from a Republican soldier's holster and kills Cimourdain a split second after he orders the guillotine's blade to drop.
Keywords: Victor Hugo, French Revolution, historical drama
Year Printed: 2013
Running TIme: 120 minutes
Acts: 3
Male Cast: 11
Female Cast: 1