Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down.

A German youth, more slacker than soldier, goes AWOL from military service and returns to his parents' summer home. There he falls in love with his brother's girlfriend, a Danish actress in B-movies. This film offers a window into the restless yet idle world of modern youth.