The focus is on the American soldier Matt Dyson, a simple man from a humble background. He meets the young Englishwoman Jean Moreton, who lives in a small town and is waiting for her fiancé, who is fighting as a soldier overseas. A tender but conflict-ridden love affair gradually develops between Matt and Jean. Jean is torn between her loyalty to her fiancé and her growing feelings for Matt, who fascinates her with his open, warm-hearted manner. The film deliberately avoids war scenes at the front. Instead, director John Schlesinger concentrates on the emotional inner life of his characters, their longing for closeness, their fear of loss and the tension between a sense of duty and personal happiness. The film is a melancholic, atmospherically dense portrait of an extraordinary time and shows how people of different origins seek human connections in the midst of global catastrophes.