In France during World War I, Marthe waits for her husband, Jacques, while he fights on the front lines. Marthe then begins a tempestuous affair with 17-year-old François, with whom she had a dalliance before marrying Jacques. Jealous François struggles with the fact that Marthe is married, while she tries to prove her devotion to her young, hotheaded lover. Things become even more complex when Marthe becomes pregnant with Jacques' baby.

Adaptación de la novela homónima de Stendhal. Francia, Siglo XIX. Julian es un tipo sin escrúpulos, capaz de cualquier cosa con tal de ascender en la escala social. Aunque es hijo de un carpintero, en lugar de trabajar como sus hermanos, él se pasa el tiempo leyendo libros.