1937, India. Anne-Marie Stretter, the French ambassador's wife, lives a secluded but luxurious existence in Calcutta. The monotony of her existence is alleviated by her frequent clandestine love encounters with government officials, young men who find her a source of attraction and yearning. The Vice Consul is driven wild by his love for her and cries like a sick animal when he is ejected from the ambassador's palace. Anne-Marie Stretter's life continues in the same dull manner...