While French writer Victor Hugo was in exile after Napoleon gained power, Hugo's daughter Adèle — a poet and composer in her own right — met and fell in love with a British officer on the Channel Islands. When the man rebuffed her, Adèle (1830-1915) became obsessed, and her behavior turned increasingly erratic as she followed him across the world.

Filmmaker François Truffaut spent six years dealing with the Hugo estate to bring the story to the screen. A 20-year-old Isabelle Adjani left the Comédie Française for the emotionally complex role and was universally praised for her intense performance in this psychological drama.