Viva Maria!

In 1907, Marie Fitzgerald O'Malley—Maria II—appears as the Irish-born daughter of a deceased Frenchwoman and an Irish republican anarchist who has assisted her father in bombings against the British government since youth. Her upbringing is steeped in political violence and resistance, shaping a mindset dedicated to upheaval. The narrative establishes her as a prodigy of improvisational rebellion who will later channel these skills into a larger socialist cause.

While in Central America, Maria II is forced to blow up a bridge as part of a dangerous mission. Her father is killed in a shootout with British authorities during the operation. The tragedy leaves Maria II an orphan on the run, catalyzing her search for new allies.

Orphaned and pursued, Maria II escapes capture and finds refuge in the wagon of Maria I, a French vaudeville performer traveling with a touring circus. The unlikely duo begins to form an alliance born of shared hardship and a longing for belonging. The circus setting provides the stage for their future collaboration.

Maria II and Maria I bond and decide to team up for a song-and-dance act called 'Maria and Maria,' even though Maria II is inexperienced as a performer. The partnership blends Maria I's flair with Maria II's bombmaking-inspired backstory into a provocative new show. Their act becomes a vehicle for rebellion as well as entertainment.

During their inaugural performance, Maria II's skirt rips and the routine unexpectedly turns into a striptease. The shocking turn of events catches the audience's imagination and quickly becomes a nationwide sensation. The moment marks a dramatic shift in their careers and in public perception.

As the troupe tours the countryside, they witness Rodríguez's henchmen ransack a small village, killing some villagers and enslaving others. The brutality exposes the social injustices fueling their revolutionary impulse. The event deepens Maria II's resolve to confront Rodríguez.

Maria II shoots a henchman in a bid to intervene, but she and Maria I are imprisoned along with villagers at Rodríguez's hacienda. The confinement tightens their bond and forces them to confront the looming threat of oppression. The hacienda becomes the crucible for their evolving political alliance.

In the hacienda jail, Maria I meets Florès, a socialist revolutionary fighting San Miguel's dictatorship, and they quickly fall in love. The romance injects a personal stake into the political struggle. Their bond gives Maria I a sharper sense of purpose in the impending fight.

The next morning Rodríguez arrives intending to kill the Marias, but the women distract him long enough for the troupe to escape. Florès is shot by one of Rodríguez's henchmen, a blow that galvanizes Maria I to carry on his revolution. The death marks a turning point in the protagonists' resolve.

On Florès' deathbed, he urges Maria I to continue his revolutionary cause, and she reluctantly agrees to carry it forward. The vow expands the scope of their fight beyond personal romance to a broader political mission. Maria I accepts the burden with quiet determination.

Reluctant at first, Maria II joins the cause when she comes to the aid of her friend Maria I and witnesses the peasants' desire for change. Her decision marks a turning point in the movement's legitimacy. The Marias' partnership deepens into a shared leadership.

They gather a peasant army and organize the countryside into a quasi-socialist state, with Maria I's leadership and Maria II's bombmaking skills providing strategic edge. The two Marias unite the rural population around their revolutionary vision. The movement's growth shifts the balance of power away from Rodríguez.

The Marias' revolutionary activities draw admiration from townspeople but fear from San Miguel's dictator and Catholic authorities who deem the devotion sacrilegious. As they press toward the capital, the Marias are captured by the Father Superior and churchmen. A botched torture attempt—due to old Inquisition equipment—fails, and their army rescues them, paving the way for final defeat of Rodríguez and the Father Superior.

Rodríguez, the dictator, and the Father Superior are defeated, and the Marias are hailed as revolutionary heroines. Back in France, the troupe stages a Spanish-language musical retelling of the revolution, featuring the Marias in black wigs. The epilogue closes with a celebratory note on their enduring legacy.