This simple romantic tragedy begins in 1957. Guy Foucher, a 20-year-old French auto mechanic, has fallen in love with 17-year-old Geneviève Emery, an employee in her widowed mother's chic but financially embattled umbrella shop. On the evening before Guy is to leave for a two-year tour of combat in Algeria, he and Geneviève make love. She becomes pregnant and must choose between waiting for Guy's return or accepting an offer of marriage from a wealthy diamond merchant.

Claude Sauvage, a tenacious young gynecologist takes a months long internship in a Paris hospital. Between her private life and medical career, she set her doubts and desires in a society where the square and the plight of women remain at that time a secondary issue. The film follows Claude and the staff through the case of some patients while the crucial debate on women's professional ambition, contraception and abortion rights.

In this imaginary investigation, the scientist, who was very secretive, is presented in a new light. Actors play people who knew Einstein and retrace his journey. The portrait is followed by a debate on a point of controversy, the involvement of Albert Einstein in the nuclear war.

Albert is a Franciscan monk and a medical orderly at a monastery in France. Although he is German, the kindly monk helps hide French resistance members. Albert tries to maintain the delicate balance between the warring factions by helping out the afflicted and not getting involved in political ideology.

Nénette, a promiscuous pipe-smoking girl, loves Claude, a gangster who has just pulled off a gainful heist. They both drive to Le Havre from where they plan to set sail for Desirade Island. But in Le Havre, Claude meets Raymond, a shipyard worker and former vet friend of the Indochina War, who offers to accommodate him. Claude accepts but, as a token of his "gratitude", he seduces Raymond's wife. In despair, Raymond, who in the meantime has lost his job, jumps off a cliff. Shadowed by a detective, Nénette becomes his mistress, knowing full well that Claude will be arrested because of her.

One Saturday night, Jenny and Vera, are sequestered at home by an armed man who wants a big sum of money. As the two girls have no cash, he will wait until Monday morning for them to be able to withdraw the money. For the time being he binds them on their bed and, tired out himself, falls to sleep. The next morning, Max Sorini (for such is is name), a former legionary, accepts to tell his story to his two victims: having surprised his wife Nathalie in the company of her lover, Max had fallen upon his rival and a fight had ensued during which the other man had killed Nathalie, before taking the French leave. The police, believing Max was guilty with the manslaughter had arrested him but he had managed to escape while being transferred to prison. Now he needs money for his defense... —Guy Bellinger