In 1936 Nazi Germany, a young,innocent apprentice, full of Olympic fever, leaves his rural village to see the ceremonies in Berlin. Upon arriving in the capitol, he meets a widow and a relationship blossoms. They spend an idyllic summer at her lakeside home, but the forces of totalitarianism cannot be held at bay and soon invade their lives.
以德国名导弗里茨朗为《M是凶手》的所作的前期准备为基础，处于创作和婚姻危机中的朗在与杜塞尔多夫谋杀犯的接触中发掘两者类似的青年创伤。作品将档案影像顺畅地结合搬演场景和原片片段，犯罪惊悚元素让位于心理分析，成为有别于历史还原的一种谜题诠释，也是对魏玛时期社会风貌的局部意识流和表现主义影像拼贴。
