The Thibaults

By Roger Martin du Gard

Set in the tense years leading up to World War I, the film follows the Thibault family, whose comfortable life begins to fracture as political unrest spreads across Europe. At the center of it are two brothers pulled in opposite directions. Jacques, the younger son, chafes under his father’s rigid rules. Impulsive and idealistic, he runs away from home and falls in with underground political groups that promise swift, dramatic change. Antoine, the older brother, is a calm, introspective doctor who believes real progress comes slowly and through compassion, not upheaval. While Jacques throws himself into movements that flirt with danger, Antoine buries himself in his work, trying to do good in small, steady ways. The story moves along two intertwined tracks: the rising turmoil reshaping Europe, and the quiet storms within a family trying to hold itself together. As war approaches, the brothers’ opposing visions collide, forcing them to confront the cost of their beliefs—and whether the bond between them can survive a world on the edge.

Story added by sepanta_kazemi on November 16, 2025