Once, long ago, Clive Breeze was a hero whose bravery won him a medal. Now, he's a middle-aged failure who's in big, big trouble.

Set in post WW II-Vienna this British spy adventure centers on an international effort to thwart the communists that is led by an American newspaper journalist trying to save the two innocents from certain death.

After killing his English partner, a Canadian businessman assumes his identity. Things begin to fall apart for him when the murdered man's body is found.

The setting is a city block during a sweltering summer, where the residents serve as representatives of the not-very-idealized American melting pot. There is idle chitchat, gossip, jealousy, racism, adultery, and suddenly but not unexpectedly, a murder.

The film follows Gabriel Angel (Rakie Ayola), a young Caribbean aviator who falls in love with the forger Duncan Stewart (Jonathan Pryce) on her journey to England. Stewart is pursued by his nemesis Rex Goodyear (John Hurt), and the group are supported by Dr Angela Bead (Vanessa Redgrave) and Miss Gwendolyn Quim (Dorothy Tutin), retired missionaries who become lovers during the voyage.

Two lads in Edinburgh embark on a non-violent spree of robberies. They dress up in clown masks and act as modern highwaymen, robbing coach loads of tourists in the highlands. In the process they become folk heroes to the locals.