During WWII, Johnny, an English Literature student, leaves his home for the Langhe hills and meets up with a group of partisans. After a German attack scatters the group, Johnny joins up with another formation. However, he does not feel comfortable among these partisans either. Following the devastating Nazi-fascist roundups, Johnny finds himself alone during the hard winter of '44, in a pillaged farmhouse, suffering from cold and hunger. It is only in these extreme conditions that he finally finds his purpose, his reason for becoming a partisan. At the end of winter, when his friend Pierre's newly reunited formation leaves on the trail of a fascist patrol, Johnny is the first to volunteer...