Tamin is one of the village boys who are ensnared by Japanese propaganda to enroll as Heiho (auxiliary soldiers). He joins the mission to Burma (Myanmar) during World War II in the Red Cross division. When the Japanese forces are defeated, Tamin and his friends are brought back to Java and handed over to the Dutch who are attempting to rule the country one more time. Tamin is forced to join the Dutch military (KNIL) to fight his fellow citizens. After Indonesia gains full sovereignty (1950), Tamin chooses to return to the village. But his heart remains uncertain as his friends accuse him of not participating in the struggle for Indonesia's independence. So Tamin goes to the city where he meets a fellow former Heiho, who is now in the Indonesian military force. His friend shows him that there are other ways to contribute to the national struggle. Then Tamin returns to his home, his village and his country.

This film shows the Acehnese people‘s struggle against the Dutch through a fictional approach. Meutia is one of the fighters. But within their ranks, there are also traitors such as Commander Husin. Husin is in love with Kemala, but she chooses Djohan over him. To get rid of his competition, Husin sends Djohan to deliver a message to Commander Him in the mountains. Djohan is injured in the process and Meutia nurses him to recovery. Meutia then takes him to see Commander Him. Meanwhile, Husin manages to marry Kemala. As Kemala sympathizes with the struggle for independence, she opposes her husband, and is killed. Based on information that Kemala provides, Djohan hunts down and finally captures Husin.

Abdulkadir is a scrooge. He works as a loan shark. His daughter, Suliati, is going steady with Ahmad. But Abdulkadir resents his daughter's lover due to his poverty. Instead, he pairs off Suliati with the wealthy Abdulrachman. Meanwhile, Abdulkadir is dating Rohana, his own son, Ramelan's girlfriend. Finally, it is revealed that Ahmad is actually Abdulrachman's son. In the end, Ahmad gets to marry Suliati.