 Colonel Chabert (Gerard Depardieu) has been severely wounded in the French-Russian Napoleonic war to the point that the medical examiner has signed his death certificate. When he regains his health and memory, he goes back to Paris, where his "widow", Anne (Fanny Ardant) has married the Count Ferraud (Andre Dussollier) and is financing his rise to power using Chabert s money. Chabert hires a lawyer (Fabrice Luchini) to help him get back his money and his honor. Based on the Honore the Balzac classic novel.