This is a fantastic French film showing the breakdown of the French royal family and the nation toward the end of the 16th century. It opens in 1572, with the arranged political marriage of Marguerite de Valois, sister of the catholic king Charles IX and Henri de Navarre, head of the protestant faction. The rest of the film shows the political consequences for France and the personal consequences for Margeurite (Margot).
The film stars Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Vincent Perez, Miguel Bose, and others, but the best performance by far is Virna Lisi as the Queen Mother Catherine de Medici, scheming and poisoning her way through politics.