It is a film of the French Protestants versus the Catholics--both Christians and killing each other just as in Northern Ireland to this day. Throughout the film there is no mention of either faction by name except that the Guises were Catholics. The movie is an adaptation of a short story by Madame de La Fayette. More than a story of a beautiful lady, who cannot be in control of her life but at the mercy of her parents and later her husband, the tale is about a Protestant (Francois de Chabannes), well read and educated, who decides to stop being a soldier killing Catholics who also believed in his God. The role is played by Lambert Wilson, an actor who played roles Fred Zinnemann's "Julia" (his debut) and "Five Days One Summer," and two Matrix films and the third Matrix Resurrections (yet to be released), This Tavernier film appears to be a historical tale but in reality is a lovely work of fiction very well acted. This is not the best of Tavernier but it still lovely on a second viewing. The final shot of the Princess in close-up was remarkable. The lead actress Melanie Thierry made an impact in her debut feature film, Giuseppe Tornatore's "The Legend of 2000," one of my top 100 films.