The film takes place during a time of famine. Norway has been at war with England and Sweden, and times are tough. Gjest Baardsen has gotten into trouble with the law, apparently over a trivial matter. But Gjest breaks free, and instead it is the sheriff who is locked up in handcuffs. And Gjest continues to flee, with sheriffs and good people in tow.

Young Tone's uncle gets the much poorer young man Tellef sent out to sea after they fall in love. They pledge to never marry anyone else, but one day Tellef recieves a letter saying Tone is soon to marry the police chief.

General director Strøm will create a large Norwegian industrial company to tame waterfalls and put them in pipes. But also his wife Sylvia, the gifted pianist, must be tamed. However, Strøm discovers that human material is considerably more difficult to process than the forces of nature.

The Swedish blacksmith Jörund, who left Sweden innocently suspected of murder, arrives at a Norwegian farm and falls in love with the farmer Marja.

Harald's wife Eva has ambitions of becoming a writer, and divorces him to marry one of his friends, Anton. But Anton can't forget his former wife Ragna, and Harald is inheriting a large sum of money. Will this change things?

A film biography of Rikard Nordraak, composer of the Norwegian national anthem.