During the Napoleonic Wars, Baron Eduard and his wife Charlotte live an reclusive and idyllic life together in an old castle. Driven to boredom by isolation, Eduard invites his friend Captain Otto to come stay, and Charlotte decides to bring her niece Ottilie back from boarding school. Complex and passionate affinities are soon ignited between the four people, leading to tragic consequences. This film, based on Goethe’s classic novel, foregrounds the social implications of personal relationships.