Dashing through the streets of Venice, slipping from the clutches of the law, darting across Europe in search of new challenges, Giacomo Casanova races through life with irrepressible energy. Violinist, writer, soldier, spy, gambler, adventurer - it is as a lover that he unbridles the full force of his energy. A charmer and seducer, he, too, is charmed by the beauty of women, seduced by their passion, intrigued by their mystery. For the young Casanova, life may be one dazzling Venetian carnival, but in love there are no masks or disguises: this is where he is at his most genuine, most vulnerable, most naked. The son of an actress, Giacomo Casanova grows up surrounded by the magic and artifice of theater. As the protégé of the French ambassador to the Venetian Republic, he begins his ascent in society - and his conquest of its most beautiful women. Betrayed by his jealous benefactor, Casanova is thrown into prison. Fifteen months later, he escapes and flees to Paris, where he beguiles Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour.