In mid-nineteenth century Guanajuato, the beauty and charm of the young heiress Amalia conquers the lowly foreman Ricardo with fatal results. Prevented from consummating their love, Ricardo is going to Guanajuato where again later become the rich owner of a mine. On his return, fate has prepared a tragic encounter with Amalia.

The film features Fernandez himself as a character named Rogellio Torres. The lion's share of the footage, however, is devoted to the romance between Esperanza, granddaughter of a common laborer, and Jose Luis Castro, the firebrand son of a landowner. Joining a revolutionary movements, Castro is disowned by his father, but Esperanza remains loyally by his side. Later on, Castro's father is killed by outlaws; in seeking vengeance, he sacrifices his own life, while Esperanza carries on his revolutionary work with their young son in tow.

Aurelio Rodríguez is released from jail, and tries to start a new life by marrying Paloma and working his land. But the local landowners, the brothers González, interfere with his plans.

Antonio dives for sponges which are sold by his sweetheart Rossana. One day, the escaped prisoner José-Luis appears and is hid by his friend Antonio. Although José-Luis does not want to betray his friend, a love affair with tragic consequences between him and Rossana develops. The Net was one of Mexico's entries at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.

Fisherman Quino and his wife Juana are very poor and desperate because the town's foreign doctor refuses to treat their son Coyotito, who has been bitten by a scorpion. When Quino unexpectedly finds a magnificent pearl in the sea, Juana senses that the discovery will only bring them misfortune and tries to convince her husband to return it to the sea.

A young woman, abandoned by her womanizing fiancé, is forced to provide for the upbringing of her son and combat the difficulties of being an unmarried mother during the strife of early 20-century Mexico.

A young journalist asks an old artist about the portrait of a naked Indian woman that he has in his study. The artist tells the story of Maria Candelaria, a young Indian woman who was rejected by her own people for being the daughter of a prostitute. She is protected by a young Indian man, Lorenzo Rafael, who has fallen in love with her.

In a whorehouse in Acapulco, lives Leonor, a young and beautiful woman who is awaiting to reunite with an old lover. Suddenly, the man reappears to take her away from her life of vice. But the debt owed by Leonor to the "Madame" of the house causes a series of conflicts.