István Sinka, known in the farm world of the Great Plains only as Black Burdock, is a decent, honest fellow. He stands out among his peers with his education and literacy. He and his love, Piroska, are happily planning their lives when an unexpected tragedy occurs.
Young honest public official is sworn in after his predecessor had to leave due to a corruption scandal. Soon, the young idealist discovers just how far-reaching the corruption is in his town and how easy it is to become corrupt yourself.
Panni, coming from a landless family of ten and Miska have loved each other for a long time. The pretty Panni, however, has another suitor as well: Komáromi, the big farmer. The two men fight from time to time, but then, during the time Miska is serving his military duty, Panni marries Komáromi to end the tremendous squalor of her family.
The hero of the story taking place at the end of the twenties is the modest civil servant, doctor Kopjáss who is suddenly appointed to be the chief attorney of Zsarátnok city. He realises slowly that his immaculate name was needed as a cover for the corrupt loan transactions handled by the lords of the city.
The main character in the story that takes place in 1896, year of the millennium, is Szakhmáry Zoltán, who, in sharp contrast with the people around him, is neither a cynic nor a lewd, not even someone with a tendency for showing off his strength. Instead, he strives to become a humane person with enough common sense and modern thinking.
Avary, himself a hustler, is jealous of his beautiful wife. He eavesdrops to catch Vilma, his wife, having supper with a neighbour on the terrace of their manor-house. He is about to shoot at the woman, but it is him who gets shot to death.
Filmed in the Hortobágy region of the Great Hungarian Plain, Hoellering presents three generations of herdsmen and an arresting depiction of societal progress.
