At the Paris Opera in 1783, the aristocrats gossip.

Genevieve, Marquise de Merteuil, sits in her box seat, remembering a sexual escapade with her lover.

She leaves the opera, narrating a love letter, saying she has risked her reputation and relationship with her husband for her young lover.

The aristocrats enjoy a party while the lower classes shout at them from behind high gates.

A young, well-dressed couple -- Pascal and Camille -- make their way through the crowd and climb the fence, evading the uniformed men who keep the rabble back.

As the drummers drum and fireworks crash, Pascal and Camille share a tender kiss. An air balloon launches. The crowd applauds. The queen ponders her husband's love for her. Camille declares that she wants the stars and always has.

Pascal lights up a room and shows Camille a map of Paris he has made. They walk all over it and consider what it will be like to be no longer poor. He declares that he has a plan for how they can be together. They make love on the map.

Camille and Pascal wander the streets in the early morning. He asks her to marry him. She reminds him of her debt. He says he will find the money.

Camille returns home, and her servant Victoire tells her to talk about "him." Camille tells Victoire that he asked for her hand, and Victoire expresses concern.

Camille heads to work in a less reputable part of town, and a man violently accosts her. She attempts to fight him when a gentleman appears and hits him, forcing him off.

The gentleman explains that it's his job, but Camille says it is because he is kind. She kisses his hand and notices a mark on his hand and an extra finger. Camille walks away. The gentleman kicks the man in the face again.

A young woman, Rose, walks through a brothel. Camille heads up the stairs, and Madame Jericho, who runs the brothel, asks for money, warning Camille to find work or she will bring clients to her.

Camille returns to her room, telling Victoire that she can't do this anymore and that she will marry Pascal.

Victoire tries to talk some sense into her, reminding her that Pascal has no money and love won't help her pay her debt to Jericho. Camille assures Victoire that this is an out for both of them, hugs her, and swears never to leave her.

Pascal Valmont gets powdered and dressed up and meets with his lover, Genevieve, the Marquise de Merteuil, in a fancy apartment. They begin kissing, and she asks for her letters back.

Valmont tells her that she will have them when he gets his title. Elsewhere, a servant searches for the letters and smashes up Valmont's place, including some cat figurines.

Later, when the Marquise asks her servant for the letter, he tells her the letters were not in the apartment.

Pascal asks her apprentice Azolan to buy them food. Azolan retorts that they have no money.

Azolan repairs the cat figurines, and Pascal asks why it's such a fuss, as they are only Pascal's mother's inheritance.

Azolan asks Pascal what he will do since Madame de Merteuil won't give him a title. Pascal says she'll reconsider if she wants to keep her marriage intact.

At work, Emile approaches Pascal, and Pascal says he will pay him for the apartment by the end of the week, asking for a line of credit.

Emile says he put his reputation on the line to procure the client's empty apartment, and Pascal passively threatens to expose him. Emile tells Pascal the rent is doubled and takes his leave.

Pascal goes to a vault at work, where he has Genevieve's letters hidden. Emile comes in and tells him his river tunnel has been found.

In the slums of Paris, Pascal and his co-workers do their mapping.

Alone, Pascal heads to the brothel to visit Camille. Victoire scolds him for not having money, and he urges her to take a lover.

Camille and Pascal embrace. She tells him she will marry him. They make love and spend the day together well into the evening.

Camille and Pascal lay on the roof until Victoire calls for Camille, saying Jericho wants Camille's earnings from the day's work. Pascal tells Camille he has money in his bag, and she goes into the room to fetch it.

Going through his bag, Camille finds one of Genevieve de Merteuil's letters, which she reads. Pascal returns to the room, and Camille expresses confusion as she reads Genevieve's words of love out loud.

Pascal insists he's doing it for them, he has Genevieve's secrets, but Camille is hurt and surprised that he would threaten to ruin a woman with blackmail. Pascal then asks how they will live, as neither of them has money.

Pascal reassures her that he loves her and her only; he only wants a better life for them. Camille asks Pascal not to betray her. He says he will burn the letters. Victoire eavesdrops.

They kiss by the firelight and make a plan to run away together. As Camille and Pascal sleep, Victoire goes through Pascal's bag and takes out a key.

The next day, Victoire, disguised as a boy, goes to Pascal's place of work and into the vault. She finds the little box where he keeps Madame de Merteuil's letters.

Emile spots Victoire, and Victoire makes a run for it. He chases her out but fails to catch her.

Azolan tells Pascal he has received another letter -- not from Madame de Merteuil, but from another lover, who calls him "pussycat." Pascal orders him to put it on the fire.

Pascal visits his stepmother, Ondine, who was left well-off by Pascal's father. He asks for a settlement, to buy some land in the south, away from Paris. Ondine guesses that he is in love. She has some choice words about his mother.

Pascal says everything should have fallen to him, but Ondine poisoned his father against him. He begs, saying he is destitute, but Ondine tells him the fortune will go to her own son.

Victoire and Camile eat a simple meal of bread. Camille explains that her debt to Jericho is so steep that she will never be able to pay it in her life.

Camille tells Victoire they will go to the old bridge that night to meet Pascal. Victoire says she shouldn't trust Pascal, but Camille insists that she must.

Pascal receives another letter calling him "pussycat" and telling him she has a gift for him.

Camille heads out when Madame Jericho presents her with a client -- it's the gentleman who saved her on the street the other night. He follows her to her room and presents her with a bouquet of flowers.

All business, Camille asks him how he wants her. He speaks calmly to her, says her name, and says he knows all about her. He explains that he is an officer with the unit of moral discipline, and his name is Gabriel. She gives him back his money, saying she has to go.

Gabriel tosses the money aside, threatening her for her disrespect. He grabs her, and Victoire puts a knife to his throat from behind. He turns and knocks the knife from Victoire's hand and grabs her wrist.

Camille grabs the knife and puts it to Gabriel's throat. Camille and Victoire lock him in and then race down the stairs. Rose stops them but, after some insistence, lets them pass. Camille and Victoire run through the rainy streets.

Pascal rides in a carriage.

Camille and Victoire wait under the bridge.

Pascal meets his other lover, Florence, and she presents him with a trinket in bed.

Camille worries that something must have happened to Pascal. Victoire tells Camille that there are other letters, from many other women, all writing of love.

Pascal tells Florence that they should have their own apartment. He asks for money to set up a space for them. Florence tells him no more talking, and they fall back onto the bed.

In tears, Camille goes through Pascal's pile of letters.

Pascal leaves Florence and runs through the rain.

Camille gets an idea. Together, she and Victoire visit Madame de Merteuil. Genevieve is about to throw them out, when Victoire announces they have her letters.

Pascal arrives at the bridge, but no one is there.

Genevieve asks what they want for the letter. Camille says she will not blackmail her but instead wants to give Genevieve her freedom from Valmont. Genevieve thinks she is working for Valmont, but Camille insists that Valmont is dead to her.

Camille insists they needn't be rivals. She tells Genevieve she cannot go back to her old life. She wants Genevieve to teach her how to be a lady again, and she will give her all her letters.

Pascal arrives at the brothel, asking for Camille, saying he was to meet her, but he was late. Rose tells him that she ran out on them.

Genevieve fondly recalls a tryst with Valmont. Her Majordome announces that her husband will be returning soon. Majordome offers to play cards with her to take her mind off things.

In the morning, Genevieve makes a plan to give Camille a new identity. Genevieve says Victoire will have to go, but Camille refuses, citing the letters. Genevieve says Victoire should at least be silent. Genevieve gives them books to read. She asks how many lovers Valmont had, but Camille cannot answer.

Genevieve takes Camille to the dressmaker, Madame Berthe, introducing Camille as the daughter of a dear friend. Berthe and her assistants get to work. Berthe is about to take some ragged block ribbons from Camille's wrists, but Genevieve stops her.

Genevieve takes the ribbons from Camille, exposing deep scars. Genevieve replaces the old ribbons with fresh white ones.

As Camille is powdered and laced, she remembers Valmont. Overwhelmed, she runs out of the room. Genevieve goes after her.

Genevieve dispenses words of wisdom, urging Camille to see Valmont as the enemy. She explains that she maintained a facade for the privilege of marrying well and figured out how to have what she wanted without fear of consequence -- except for her only misstep, Valmont.

Genevieve tells Camille to hide her pain and close her heart to love.

At the opera, Valmont shows up in Genevieve's box. The Marquise tells him she has a title for him -- blackmailer. Valmont says he only has to send one letter to her husband. She tells him to send it then -- if he has it.

Valmont leaves. Camille emerges, made up and dressed beautifully, and sits in the box. Valmont heads to the vault at work and finds his box of letters empty.

At confession, Gabriel proclaims that evil shall come upon Camille and perhaps him, too.