Julien is a left-leaning student whose politics and love interest end up clashing as the young man makes a long, epic journey through his years at a private school in Paris when Algeria is fighting France for its independence, up to his time spent as a courier for Algeria's National Liberation Front (known by their French acronym, the FLN). While at school, Julien already had a conflict with his good friend Gilles and the right-wing politics that Gilles embraces. This relationship will come to have a crucial bearing on the future, as Julien continues on his path to maturity.