The French Revolutionary Government sees 2 major obstacles to full control of the people of France: the Monarchy and the Church. They have removed the King from his throne and beheaded him by guillotine. Many members of the aristocracy and the monarchy, as well as many government officials, have been imprisoned and/or tortured and/or killed in the name of the "Revolution!" They make it law that all clergy must take an oath of loyalty to the new government. The Pope forbids it, telling priests their loyalty is to God, not man, nor an earthly government. Priests who refuse the oath are subject to being put to death. In 1793, after enduring over three years of mounting persecution by the architects of the French Revolution, a small band of peasants and nobles in "the Vendee," a section of western France, establish a Catholic 'counter-revolution'. Their aim is to protect their personal and religious liberty, including the Sacraments and priests of the Catholic Church. They are mostly farmers, well-known for their hunting prowess. The Revolutionary Government response is genocide. The movie tells the story of their valiant, six year struggle to restore to their rightful places their God and their King. Their counter-revolution resulted in much sacrifice and countless martyrdoms, but also in the restoration of religious freedom across France.
—mhd