Friends Philippe and Laurent, a violinist and a cello player, frequently team up to play special gigs. While performing for a wedding, they meet the high-class Sophie. Unfortunately for Sophie and the musicians, both of whom she eventually has relationships with, Sophie has an entirely unscrupulous drug-peddling mother, who will stop at nothing to pursue her plans.

A nasty Rome police chief circa 1800 forces the lover of a painter, suspected of harboring a political prisoner, to reveal the hiding place and to yield to his power and lust.