A man returns to France after living in America for 11 years to find the old hometown has changed. Bruno (Jean-Louis Trintignant looks up some old friends that he left behind. One man was killed in the war with Algeria, and others are resigned to live out their lives in a sullen acceptance of fate. Leone (Simone Signoret) runs the local bar where the old gang used to meet. Flashbacks are employed to give historical reference to the stories of the characters. Bruno's return is met with a strange mix of suspicion and envy by the locals who have remained in the small town. Director Marcel Bozzuffi plays Jackie, the former football hero who struggles to make it after his athletic career has ended. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi