Based on real events; the film begins as officers of the Civil Guard force their way into the Lower House of the Cortes. Once in control of the building and its elected representatives, they await developments. The minutes tick by and tension rises. Senior members of the army, the king's advisers and the king himself respond to the situation. Events become gladiatorial contests as individuals are forced by circumstances to reveal their moral qualities. Deceit, treachery, courage and fear are vividly displayed. From an Australian perspective, the attitude of the Civil guard officers could be seen as mate-ship. Perhaps Spanish people see things differently. Spain was a dictatorship. By 1980, democracy had been restored to government and the people were free to govern themselves. Many of them would describe the attitude of the Civil Guard as hubris.
