In 1807, Napoleon meets and falls in love with 22-year-old Polish countess Marie Walewska, who is unhappily married to a much older man. Enchanted by the blonde, blue-eyed countess, the emperor enters into an affair with Marie, who uses the relationship to induce Napoleon to treat Poland fairly.
Grand Duke Konstanty marries Countess Joanna Grudzińska. However, Joanna still loves Major Łukasiński, and she agreed to the marriage out of a sense of patriotic duty. Łukasiński is arrested. The November Uprising breaks out. The conspirators capture Belweder Palace. Joanna hides Konstanty...
Poor musician Alojzy Kędziorek is in love with Sagankiewicz's daughter Renata, who is reciprocated, but her family wants to marry her off to the wealthy butcher Baleron. Hipek, Alojzy's friend, sells his song to the theater director. The song becomes a huge hit. Alojzy is mistakenly locked up in a...