In this Austrian-set post-World War II drama, a patrol featuring soldiers from each of the four nations occupying the country -- America, England, France, and the Soviet Union -- come across an escaped prisoner who wants to reunite with his wife, Franziska (Viveca Lindfors). While all of his peers aren't of the same mind, the American trooper, Sergeant William Long (Ralph Meeker), empathizes with the couple and pursues protocol-breaking measures to get them back together again.