A 12-year-old boy and his father embark on a fishing trip where the boy hopes to get to know his father better. When a young woman leaves her boyfriend after a quarrel, the father invites her along on the trip. The boy's hopes of a father-and-son retreat are shattered when it becomes obvious dad is after more than fish.

The action takes place during the revolution in Russia. A young officer - a White Guard - is sentenced to death by the Red Army soldiers and on a moonlit night he is led to be shot.