Sabine de Barra, a young talented but unfortunate Gardner is selected to help Andre Le Notre,
the King's appointed architect to build a garden in King Louis the 14th’s palace at
Versailles. Both form a strange friendship that proves to be a little more than just
platonic. This story of finding beauty in chaos is set
in Paris in 1682 at the Versailles Palace. The scene opens with the chiming of the clock
and the door is opened revealing a little girl in a white gown. King Louis the 14th
is awoken from his sleep by his daughters, who have made him breakfast. He announces
to them that they are to hold court at the palace of Versailles and informs them about
the splendour of his garden for which he has commanded the greatest masters of France.
It should be unlike anything in history. He emphasises the matchless beauty of the garden
by saying “Heaven shall be here”. We see Sabine de Barra, a gardener, living
her life sketching and digging shelled species from her garden when she is called by her
helper, Louise, who has a letter for her. She is summoned to be interviewed by the King's
appointed architect, Andre Le Notre. She prepares herself to be presentable and goes to the
city to buy something for herself. A hat catches her attention and she wears it to impress
her interviewer. Sabine reaches her destination, and the doors are opened for her. As she walks,
her appearance is noted by the other candidates who are all waiting for their turn. Andre
Le Notre himself takes notice of her when she moves one of his pots in his garden.
She makes small talk with the other three candidates outside, mainly mentioning that
she is nobody and has never worked for anyone but herself. They seem confident that Andre
will be choosing them while Sabine is nervous as this is her first breakthrough. With Andre's
assistance, Clause sees the other candidate out who also leaves smiling, just like all
the other candidates. She is called in for the interview and the first thing Andre asks
her is if her designs encapsulate any order or only follow chaos. Sabine is hesitant to
answer yet still tells him that although she understands order, she is more in favour of
creating something entirely unique, something far from the classic.
Andre himself follows the order and has built almost everything with such a design so hearing
her differ from his opinion, he is clearly offended. Sabine notices this and tries to
apologise for speaking her mind without thinking but it’s already too late and he has made
up his mind. Andre Le Notre sees her out and she has no option but to leave frustrated.
To get over the rejection she just faced, Sabine buries herself in work and doesn’t
give up until she is done with her little masterpiece.
On the other hand, Andre has yet to choose the candidate he deems worthy of the job.
He is in a strange dilemma as all the other plans are good, yet aren’t what the King
is looking for. The king is asking for something that Andre knows he alone cannot accomplish.
Though an expert himself, Andre needs the help of another to create the wonder that
the king demands. Sabine’s plans are laying in a distance, isolated from the others, and
Clause, seeing his master's distress, brings them out in front of Andre. He knows that
Sabine is the only one among the others who have the ability to surprise them and urges
Andre to look over them once again. Exhausted from the day, Sabine is ready for
the bath when she hears noises from the outside. She goes to check and sees Louise standing
there who looks at her with excitement yet is anxious. She informs Sabine that none other
than Andre himself is here to pay her a visit. This comes as a shock to Sabine because she
never thought a day would come when he would come to her home, but here is the day, and
here he is. Sabine goes to get dressed while Louise lets Andre in and tells him to wait.
As he waits for Sabine, Andre notices the art inside her home. The art represents her
and one can see the similarities between the two. He walks into Sabine’s little garden
of wonder and when he lights up the lamps hanging by branches, the whole view becomes
more magical. Andre turns around and sees Sabine standing behind, him keen to hear what
Andre has to say. Instead of saying what Sabine expected him
to say, Andre tells her that the reason he first got into gardening was his father. He
was the one who taught him that gardening is holier than the scripture as the garden
of Eden was the first thing created for humans. He mentions that earlier when she came to
visit him, she changed the position of one of his pots and questions her why but she
remains silent. Instead of dwelling on it for too long, Andre moves on.
Sabine inquires why he is here when he made it quite clear that he didn’t like her plans
at all. Andre reveals that in fact, her plans were the only ones that caught his attention.
His only critique of her designs is the abundance of chaos in the plans. A little chaos is better
but some order must be there to impress the King. This is the last thing they talk about
and then Andre leaves. Next day Sabine is again summoned by Andre
who introduces her to his other colleagues working on the project. There Andre announces
that Sabine is the one chosen amongst all the other candidates. She smiles knowing that
her persistent hard work has finally paid off.
Andre shows Sabine the grounds that she is to design, which is nothing but a swampy area.
He informs her that her vision may be grand but their budget is limited so she has to
spend accordingly. Andre hands her all the responsibility of creating an outdoor ballroom
that will be surrounded by beautiful fountains. He begins to leave when Sabine stops him and
asks why he chose her. Andre looks at her with admiration and tells her that it’s
because he wanted her voice to be heard in the garden along with his own.
Sabine works all day and night changing the plans for the betterment of the project. During
one of those nights, she accidentally falls asleep and in her dreams, sees a young child
running in the woods with a strange carriage moving through the woods. The young girl calls
Sabine mama, causing her to wake up abruptly as she responds to nothingness but her own
imagination. The next day, Sabine goes to Andre early in
the morning and shows him the changes she made in the design. She has successfully come
up with a plan to recycle water instead of using it continuously. Andre promises to take
a closer look at them and leaves with a smile. Their whole interaction is witnessed by a
woman standing at the window above them. While all the other men laugh and dawdle,
Sabine continues to work in the field tirelessly. Later it is revealed that the woman who was
spying on Andre and Sabine earlier is none other than Madame Le Notre, Andre’s wife.
She is irritated by the fact that Andre is not paying any attention to her but is instead
busy looking over Sabine's plans. She is insecure and thinks that her husband might be slipping
away so she warns and reminds Andre that he is nothing without her. He needs her. She
thinks that he might be an artist but at the end of the day, he is merely a gardener and
he needs her if he wants to keep his reputation in the court. Andre stays silent because at
this point, he is used to her threatening him. Their marriage is already in shambles
due to Madame Le Notre's continuous infidelity. Back at the site, the men Sabine is working
with are unhelpful and uncooperative. They don’t obey any of Sabine’s orders, and
thankfully, this behaviour of these men doesn’t go unnoticed by Monsieur Duras. He keeps an
eye on Sabine all day long, as she works alone in the area. The next day, when she comes
to the site, she is surprised to see a whole new crew waiting for her. All those men from
before have been sent to other posts and this is the crew she will be working with from
now on. Turns out that the other candidates who were rejected, due to the bitterness of
their defeat, recommended to her the wrong group of people to work with, and consequently
because of this, she was having a hard time. Monsieur Duras on the other hand looked out
for her and she is truly thankful to him for that. Sabine chooses to confide with him and
tells him about the invitation to the Louvre she was sent earlier. She is scared that there
will be a lot more people than she can handle and her nightmare indeed comes true. The palace
is filled with folks of high stature. The king is already talking so instead of entering
the hall, Sabine wanders off into another room where she finds a little girl sitting
alone. Suddenly the door to the hall opens into the
room Sabine is in, and to her dismay, the crowd starts pouring in. Sabine becomes more
anxious and tries to leave but her exit is filled with people trying to come in. A man
sees her struggling and grabs her hand, leading her to a window where she can finally breathe.
Seeing the state she is in, the man deduces that she has never been to the court. Sabine
proves him right when she reveals that the only knowledge about the event she has, is
that this is the reception for gardeners, which she was invited for. The man introduces
himself as Antoine. Antoine gives her a tour and on their way explains that King has always
fancied himself with mistresses, even having children with some of them.
As they enter the hall, all eyes are on them. Andre sees them approaching and in an instant
goes up to them. He greets her respectfully and she returns the courtesy. Antoine gives
her hand to Andre and instructs him to keep her safe till he is gone, which Andre is happy
to comply with. Madame Le Notre in an attempt to make Andre jealous even kisses another
man but ignores her completely and takes Sabine outside. They sit in a garden outside where
Andre, upon being asked by Sabine, tells her that he has the freedom to move to the Versailles
if he wants to. They are joking about Sabine’s hat that she wore to her interview, when their
moment is cut short, as Royal Highness Philippe Duke of Orleans makes his way towards them.
He is the King’s brother and through Sabine's charming and alluring personality, she manages
to befriend him. He inquires why would a woman of such calibre be talking to someone like
Andre when she reveals that she is the same as him. In fact, she is working under his
command. Philippe’s wife, Princess Palatine also makes an entrance during their conversation.
Not only Philippe is wooed by her, but when Princess Palatine learns that Sabine will
be the one building the water cascade at Versailles, even she cannot help but take a liking to
her. As Palatine and Sabine walk away, Phillipe asks Andre if she has also fascinated him
just like she did his wife, but Andre simply replies with nothing but words of admiration
for her. Later that evening, Andre is sitting with
the King himself when he is asked about the new ideas he is letting into the creation
of the garden. The King has his doubts but Andre promises to take full responsibility
if something goes wrong and the King makes it clear that there will be severe consequences
if Andre messes up the garden of his dreams. Andre and Sabine have invited a few guests,
including Duke Philippe and Princess Palatine, to look over the progress they are making.
Sabine has prepared a little demonstration in the form of two small explosions that take
place, surprising even Andre who had no idea about her plan. Later as they are eating,
Princess Palatine secretly reveals that Philippe is in love with another man but she has no
problem with that. She loves him still as he provides her shelter and care. During the
conversation with Palatine, Sabine keeps looking at Andre with what can only be described as
adoration. Unlike Philippe who hates the countryside,
Andre confesses to Sabine that being here gives him the courage he needs to fight his
everyday responsibilities. Sabine asks about his relationship with his wife but Andre doesn’t
say much. As they are walking just a little behind the
others, Sabine again catches a glimpse of the little girl through the trees, and stops
to look for a little while, but starts to walk again, when Andre notices her sudden
change of mood. They have finally reached their destination.
It’s a shrine that is adorned by the most beautiful decorations that Sabine has ever
seen. As everyone else is busy admiring, Andre and Sabine make eye contact which only lasts
a minute, as a soldier on a horse coming their way grabs all of their attention. Out of nowhere,
he announces that the Queen has passed away, taking all of them by surprise.
Andre comes to visit Sabine and they talk about the late Queen. As expected, King is
distraught due to the sudden passing of his wife, and rightly so. Andre is about to leave
when Sabine gently places her hand over his. Not only Andre is surprised but Sabine has
surprised herself as well with her sudden action. Before things could get awkward, she
leaves quickly and Andre can do nothing but watch her go.
As expected, clouds of uncertainty and sadness have overshadowed the kingdom. King has isolated
himself, eating nothing but only mourning in silence. Only his brother Philippe manages
to get through to him and after talking with his brother, King decides to stay in one of
Gardner’s work areas to let go of the pain that has inflicted him.
Coincidentally, it’s the same place where Sabine is headed, to order some shrubs for
the garden. She enters where the King is resting and looks around but finds that there is no
one here besides the king. King has his eyes closed and is irritated by the intrusion.
When he opens his eyes, he finds Sabine standing there. Sabine, who has never seen the King
before, mistakes him for the gardener and inquires about the shrubs she requires. King
is speechless and only stares at her with confusion written all over his face.
Seeing that she isn’t getting an answer, Sabine tries to start a small talk with him,
by bringing up the flowers, and her attempt does prove to be successful, as the King starts
discussing flowers with her. Instead of sending her way, King tells her to stay, as he finds
her company to be exactly what he needs to get over his late wife. Initially, King continues
to play the role of the Gardner but hearing him talk, Sabine finally realises that he
is no ordinary man, but is the King himself. Upon King’s request, Sabine agrees to continue
their conversation just like before his true identity was revealed.
King asks Sabine if she knows the builders working at his garden in Versailles, and that’s
when Sabine surprises him with the fact that she is the one actually working there. She
credits most of her success to Andre and King notices the admiration she has for him.
They work together throughout the day, and King himself does all the chores by her side.
By the end of the day, King reveals that he has someone in mind he wishes to marry, but
due to her being lesser in status, he cannot. Sabine gives him the advice he seeks; if he
truly loves this woman, he should marry her in private so no one can object to it afterward.
King asks Sabine if there is someone she loves. Sabine reveals that she does but is hesitant
to tell him more about it. After their talk, King finally feels that the burden of losing
his wife has been lifted off his chest. He gets up, ready to leave, but before he does
so, he invites Sabine to his court and promises to remember this day forever.
Andre is also invited by the King to the court and the one who delivers the news is his wife.
She inquires if she should get ready too for the visit but Andre informs her that he will
visit alone. Madame Le Notre suspects that he might be harbouring some feelings for Sabine
and tries to warn him but he has had enough of her. She is the one responsible for the
turmoil in their marriage. Now that Andre is finally letting her go, she again wants
to get back into his life. She begs Andre to not exclude her from his life but he only
listens to her without answering and leaves when she is done.
There is a heavy indication that it might be raining today, so Sabine is busy securing
everything, when out of nowhere, Le Notre comes to visit her. She isn’t confrontational,
yet makes it very clear that Andre belongs to her, and her, only. She tells Sabine that
although he might give some of his attention to her, his interests lie with her alone.
She isn’t the first to get his attention and wouldn’t be the last one either. Le
Notre takes off one of her gloves and touches Sabine’s face gently. Sabine on the other
hand stays still and silent. After observing her face, Le Notre leaves once she is sure
that she has made her point clear. On Le Notre’s instruction, her lover opens
the sluice gates from the reservoir during a storm, and the site where Sabine is working
gets flooded with water. When Sabine is made aware of the destruction, instead of sitting
idly, she gets into action and tries to close the gates in order to stop the water. Unfortunately,
she slips and nearly drowns but Andre makes it there in time and saves her from the terrible
end. After the storm, Andre and Sabine are sitting
alone when Sabine inquires if she is only an amusement to him. Andre upon hearing her
say that reveals that the moment she stepped onto his garden, he has been wanting her.
Not wasting a second, Sabine takes him to her home but before things can go any further,
she backtracks and leaves him wondering what he did wrong.
Sabine works the next day all alone desperate to mend the damages done by the flood. She
is asleep when she hears some voices from the outside. Unfortunately, King Louis is
here to visit the site on this very day. Seeing the mess, he is sceptical but the men working
with Sabine assure him that all this is temporary and Sabine has the power to rectify it. Sabine
doesn’t go out but Andre’s voice takes her by surprise. He is here too. When King
asks if this project has any worth, Andre has nothing but words full of praise for Sabine.
He calls her art worthy of the King and is confident that she will not disappoint them.
Sabine hearing the kind words he said for her, feels nothing but warmth and love.
As they are leaving, Andre notices Madame Le Notre’s glove in the corner, and finally
realises that she was behind the master plan of sabotaging their project. Andre goes straight
to his wife and confronts her. He presents her with the glove indicating that he knows
what she did. Sabine again goes to the court as she is invited
by the King himself. This time instead of being in one of her old shabby clothes, Sabine
wears a beautiful gown that befits the gathering of such sort. Everyone in the court keeps
looking at her, wondering what a woman of such low stature is doing among them. Antoine
introduces her to Marquise de Montespan, who turns out to be King’s mistress. They are
busy making small conversation when Princess Palatine also makes an entrance and greets
them both. Marquise introduces Sabine to the women of the court. They all gather around
here and discuss all sorts of things, even the ones that the King has forbidden. At first,
Sabine is startled by their forthcoming behaviour but as time passes, she learns that they are
far better than she thought. They all seem fascinated by Sabine. Once they sit her down,
they ask Sabine about her children and that’s when she reveals that she lost her little
girl only when she was six. To Sabine’s surprise, they all start sharing their own
losses and compared to Sabine’s, some of them are worse than hers. After hearing them,
Sabine doesn’t feel as left out as she did before and is strangely comforted by the women’s
kind words. The king is here and all the women get ready
to meet him. Marquise formally presents Sabine to the King. Andre is also among the King’s
men and smiles when he sees her. Sabine offers the king the four seasons' rose, just like
the one they discussed in the garden. Marquise passes the flower to the King, but he seems
indifferent to her. To the King, Marquise has become dull, and when Sabine understands
the meaning of the King’s harsh words for Marquise, she stands up for her. She cleverly
takes rose as an example and converses with King about how it’s true that it is fading
away, but so does every one of them. Only love and care can prolong the life of the
flower. King is once again impressed by Sabine’s ingeniousness. Andre knows the extent of Sabine’s
knowledge, yet she still somehow manages to charm him every time.
Later that night, Sabine finds Andre waiting for her outside her room, and finally, they
share an intimate moment. The next morning, when Andre wakes up, he sees that Sabine is
nowhere to be found. Sabine is back at her home and as she stares at her child’s belongings,
the flashbacks from that fateful day return. We learn that although Sabine and her husband,
Phillipe look like a perfect couple, he has been hiding something from her. He reveals
that he actually has a mistress who he has been hiding from her all along. There is nothing
Sabine can do to make him stay so he leaves. He picks up their daughter and without letting
them say their goodbyes, he takes off. One wheel of the carriage appears to be loose,
but Phillipe is confident that they will make it there with no trouble. Phillipe had lied
to Sabine, saying that they were going on a business trip, but Sabine figures on time
that he is, in fact, taking her daughter to his mistress.
Sabine isn’t ready to let go of her daughter this easily, so instead of staying, she runs
after the carriage. In hopes of stopping the carriage, she tries to barricade their way
but it proves to be a horrendous decision as the wheel comes off and it tumbles off
a hill. Both her husband and their daughter passed away in this accident. To this day,
Sabine has blamed herself for destroying something that she created herself, her perfect art.
Andre finds her traumatised by the memories of the past. He convinces her to let go of
the past as she has already punished herself enough. Andre stays the night with her, holding
her and offering all the comfort that he can give to her. Sabine is worried about what
would happen to his wife but Andre reveals that their relationship is over. She will
live her life and he will live his own. Now Andre and Sabine together will make each other
complete again. Sabine’s project is finally completed. King
Louis along with his court arrives for its inauguration. We see all the familiar faces,
ready to see the wonder that Sabine has created. Finally, her beautiful art is revealed and
everyone is in awe of it. The music starts playing and through the fountains, water surrounds
the whole ballroom. Sabine dances with the King while Andre waits for her patiently.
After the dance, Sabine takes leave from the king and Joins Andre.
Andre and Sabine leave the others behind and walk towards the forest hand in hand. King
stays still in the middle of the ballroom where everyone else dances around him.