In 1800, as Napoleon Bonaparte rises to power in France, a rivalry erupts between Armand and Gabriel, two lieutenants in the French Army, over a perceived insult. For over a decade, they engage in a series of duels amidst larger conflicts, including the failed French invasion of Russia in 1812, and shifts in the political and social systems of Europe.

Keith Carradine
as Armand d'Hubert

Harvey Keitel
as Gabriel Feraud

Albert Finney
as Joseph Fouché

Edward Fox
as Colonel Perteley

Cristina Raines
as Adèle

Robert Stephens
as Brigadier-General Treillard

Tom Conti
as Dr. Jacquin

John McEnery
as Amiable Second

Diana Quick
as Laura

Alun Armstrong
as Lieutenant Lacourbe
CinemaSerf
After what can only be described as the most minor of misunderstandings, the decent "d'Hubert" (Keith Carradine) is forced to duel with the hot-tempered "Feraud" (Harvey Keitel). That ends inconclusively and now the narrative leads us through a series of re-matches set against a tale of their trials...