The Royalists

Les Chouans is set during the dark days of the French Revolution. The title translates as "The Royalists," and indeed the protagonists are a group of French refugees loyal to the toppled royal family. Operating in Brittany, the royalists make a courageous if futile stand against the Republican army and the pro-revolution police. Based on a novel by Honore de Balzac, the film's screenplay was surreptitiously updated to include a few pro-left sentiments. (Hal Erickson, Rovi)