Young and idealistic, newly enthroned King Sebastião (Ricardo Trêpa) pushes for war with the Muslims, hoping to bring Portugal to power as the world's "Fifth Empire." Against the advice of his mother (Glória de Matos), the nobles in his court and a mysterious cleric, the king leads his poor nation to the brink of religious conflict. Legendary filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira directs this lush historical epic from the novel by José Régio.