ous ands ▁of ▁Pol es ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Grande ▁Arm ée ▁during ▁the ▁French ▁invasion ▁of ▁Russia . ▁The ▁invasion ▁force ▁reached ▁the ▁gates ▁of ▁Moscow ▁before ▁being ▁forced ▁into ▁a ▁long ▁and ▁blo ody ▁retre at . ▁The ▁film ▁itself ▁cent ers ▁on ▁two ▁noble ▁families ▁who ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁Russian - control led ▁part ▁of ▁Poland : ▁the ▁H ores z ko ▁family , ▁who ▁ar d ently ▁favor ▁Polish ▁independence , ▁and ▁the ▁S op lica ▁family , ▁who ▁support ▁Russia . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁Pan ▁T ade usz ▁is ▁told ▁in ▁flash back s ▁as ▁the ▁author , ▁Adam ▁M ick iew icz , ▁reads ▁his ▁work ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁elder ly ▁ex iles ▁in ▁Paris . ▁The ▁story ▁takes ▁place ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁five ▁days ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 1 ▁and ▁one ▁day ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁in ▁rolling ▁land sc apes ▁of ▁Lith u ania ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁Pol es ▁whose ▁hom eland ▁has ▁been ▁recently ▁partition ed ▁among ▁Russia , ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁Empire ▁and ▁Pr uss ia . ▁Not ▁far ▁off ▁in ▁history ▁lo oms ▁Napoleon ' s ▁invasion ▁of ▁Russia , ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁which ▁heart ens ▁Pol es ▁year ning ▁for ▁liber ation . ▁But ▁more ▁immediately , ▁the ▁characters ▁in ▁Pan ▁T ade usz ▁are ▁fe ud ing ▁among ▁themselves . ▁ ▁At ▁odd s ▁are ▁two ▁families : ▁the ▁S op lic as ▁and ▁the ▁H ores zk os . ▁Their ▁differences ▁arise ▁from ▁a