Towards the end of World War II, the fictitious French mountain village of Molinette is occupied by German troops. Because of sleep aid, served by his French girlfriend Hélène, the German corporal Karl Küppers misses the departure of his company to Russia. With the help of the purposeful Frenchwoman he becomes Ortskommandant.
An underage girl starts an affair with her much older employer. Then, her lover is sentenced for the seduction of a minor, and the young woman gets involved with his son, the junior head of the company. When his father is released from prison, father and son become rivals for their shared lover.
