A European village lies close to a river, which is a boundary between two countries. A severe storm changes the course of the river, and the village is now in the boundary of the neighboring totalitarian country.

Irene Wagner, the wife of the prominent German scientist Professor Albert Wagner, had been having an affair with Erich Baumann. She does not disclose this to her husband, hoping to preserve his innocence and their "perfect marriage". This fills her with anxiety and guilt. However, Johanna Schultze, Erich's jealous ex-girlfriend, learns about the affair and begins to blackmail Irene, turning Irene's psychological torture into a harsh reality.

A German scientist murders his fiancée during World War II when he learns that she has been selling the results of his secret research to the enemy.

A European circus family is torn apart by greed and jealousy.