Lucienne Delamare and Pierre Maury are having an affair. Lucienne's husband Paul is the mayor, and a French deputy. Pierre's wife Clotilde has been weak and sickly for years. Lucienne's husband holds no excitement for her, and he is always away in Paris on business. Pierre is now the vice-mayor, thanks to Paul. Lucienne and Pierre have a secret meeting spot by a lake along a country lane. Pierre's wife dies suddenly, by suicide the town gossips believe. Pierre confesses otherwise to Lucienne. Paul proposes a shady land deal which will "benefit the town", and wants Pierre's political support and collusion. Then Paul discovers proof of his wife's affair...

这是戈达尔讽刺人性的史诗，这是我的观点；因为那个时代里的一切标志性元素都可以在这部电影里找到：欲望，权利，战争，阴影，共产主义，对立，愚弄，还有虚无和荒谬；当我们把这一大包的词汇卷集到一起，触摸到的荆棘多得惊人。我断定这是个披着导演外衣的朋克，原因就是2000年看的两部电影，一部是更加令人触目惊心的“周末”，另一部就是这个“卡宾枪手”。