In which the grim reality of war steadily imprints itself upon the lives of Parisian society, as a father grapples with the cruel irony of his son’s enforced military service far from home while society stoically endures the relentless tide of conflict. Amidst reports of distant battles and valiant deeds, the somber visit to a bereaved family casts a poignant shadow, revealing the intimate sorrows that underlie the grand historical tableau.