뉴저지 헤비웨이트 챔피언이자 일명 '블리더'로 불리는 척 웨프너는 고향 베이온에서 나름 활발히 활동하며 살아간다. 그러던 어느 날, 척에게 당대 최고의 복서 무하마드 알리와 맞붙을 기회가 찾아오고, 15라운드까지 접전을 벌여 일약 스타가 된다. 하지만 척이 끊임없이 허황된 꿈만 좇으며 사랑하는 가족과 점점 멀어지고, 방탕한 생활에 깊숙이 빠져 드는데...
Where does the dividing line lie between insanity and supersensitive mentality? How should we treat people who act in a different way then we do? A young and gifted shrink sets up a group, using up-to-date and unknown methods. His idea is to socialize such people, to integrate them into a society they keep aloof from, and help them to survive.
Denev is a specialist in his area. and has no time to write his dissertation. His cousin Ivan offers his help to switch places wich leeds to catostrophe.
In a provincial town comes Elena -young actress. Soon she meets Ivan, who is the same age as her and who works at the construction site. In order to be a part of her world he agrees to pay as stand-in for a movie in which she has a small role. During the premiere, the actor gets all the fame and the stand-in stay unnoticed.
Gallows is being raised in a prison yard. A moment before the execution the Girl brings a document of the young communist's temporary pardon. The chief of the prison, the Major, has a mandolin collection. He offers a fistfight to the young communist. The young man hits him. The Major and the young communist start playing the mandolins together. Girl is allowed to meet the young communist. The boy begins to play. The melody brings to the Major pleasant memories. He fought in the Spanish civil war, but after the defeat, he turned back on his beliefs. The Major receives a telegram that he needs to send the young communist to another prison. Death awaits him there. In is rage the Major breaks the mandolins. He orders the young communist to be taken out to work. The young man runs off. The Major shoots him himself.
The upper class of the capital has been invited to a party. The guests discuss the retreat of the Germans on the Eastern Front. Havadzhieva, an attractive intellectual, recognizes that the interests of her class require action, not words.
