The American 1998 After the horror of the Civil War, ignorant Christopher Newman made his fortune He travels to France is search of cultural treasures He wont get past the Paris nightlife After an affair with a haughty painter, he falls in love with the daughter of the late marquis de Bellegarde She was married off and traumatized by her abusive late husband for the familys sake Her elder brother supports their ruthless mother, but junior Valentin is besotted with the artist and strikes a partnership with Christopher