Review the life and legend of the Marquis de Lafayette, a vital figure in the American Revolution.

This documentary chronicles the life and legend of Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette — an intriguing, neglected, and controversial figure from both the American and French Revolutions who at one time was the most famous man in the world. The film examines why a wealthy young French aristocrat would leave the comforts of the court to help a fledgling nation on another continent fight for independence, the nature of the daring path he then set upon, and how the concept of liberty steered so many choices in his life. Lafayette’s life and quest to bring democracy to America and France is shared, in part, as recorded in the extensive letters and memoirs of Lafayette; his wife, Adrienne de Noailles; and his close friend, George Washington. The documentary’s narrative is also driven by a present-day search by Lafayette’s descendant, Sabine Renault-Sabloniere, to find out more about her ancestor, uncovering the largely untold story of Lafayette’s wife, Adrienne, second daughter of the Duke de Noailles, and the arranged marriage that turned into a great romance and a partnership in revolution.