A young family in a country town. Pierre works in a meat factory, his wife Carole is an accountant. They have a 10-year-old son, Victor. Pierre decides one day to change to the night shift where the work may be tougher but the pay is better. The one who sets the tone on the night shift is Fred, a good-looking but imposing sort of guy. No sooner has Pierre started work than Fred begins to use him as a target for his low-down jokes and piss-taking. Pierre does his best to grin and bear the taunting but nevertheless he is slowly being humiliated in the eyes of his howling colleagues. The situation deteriorates with every day that passes. At home, Pierre stops talking to both his wife and even his son. Carole starts seeing Fred, for a 'tete a tete', and still Pierre says nothing. But then one day, when Pierre's son announces that he would rather live with Fred because he, at least, is a real man, Pierre decides that enough's enough...