十九世纪的巴黎，贫困的冉•阿让（Jean Gabin）因为偷一块面包被判处十九年的苦役。出狱后，走投无路的他被好心的主教（René Fleur）收留过夜，可是他却偷走了主教的银器。警察将他抓获，准备再次将他投入监狱，临危之际，主教的谎言将他拯救，他也得到感化，化名开始了洗心革面的生活。
十年过去，冉•阿让通过努力成为成功的商人并当上市长，得知妓女芳汀的悲惨遭遇后，他担负起照顾其私生女儿柯赛特的责任。他没想到的是，多年后会重遇以前缉拿过他的警长沙威（Bernard Blier），对方不信他已改邪归正，一心要找他的麻烦，只因证据不足迟迟没能得手，然而，他的好运没能持续到八年之后。

The seven stages of woman – seven stories about French women and love in the sixties. Childhood: A seven-year-old girl wants to know the secrets of birth. Her parents do not know how to explain such a delicate matter... Adolescence: A sixteen-year-old girl is flirting with several admirers. Her parents must help her to find the right way... Virginity: A young man wants to spend his first night with his fiancée. As she hesitates, he decides to wait just a little longer... Marriage: A recently married a couple soon find their honeymoon almost spoiled by jealousy... Adultery: A frustrated married woman takes a lover but the reaction of her husband is not be what she had expected... Divorce: A bored couple decide to divorce, but family friends and lawyers will almost spoil the love they still have for each other... The single woman: A gentle crook takes advantage of women and always get away with a minor sentence. His last victim will prove to be smarter than him...
By Willems Henri

生命是我们的，由法国共产党产生，包括纪录片和虚构的场景涉及夹在工人阶级，农民阶级和资产阶级的日常现实的事件：一个板董事举办大规模解雇;在工厂，罢工将阻止老工人被解雇;农民积极分子，防止癫痫发作的一个贫苦农民的财产支持;一个失业青年谁拥有不够吃由青年共产主义者的欢迎。