Shortly after Korea gained independence from Japan (1945), North Koreans decide to extort civilians' property in the name of revolutionalizing its land and settle class struggles for proletariats. The film depicts an anti North-Korean concept, detailing the country's situation after the independence. South Korea's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1968.

A brigade of five marines are sent on a dangerous mission to capture an enemy stronghold during the Korean War.

The film is based on the 1925 short story of the same title by Na Do-hyang and revolves around the story of a deaf farm hand who is in love with a landlord's daughter-in-law.

Jin-ho marries Sakiko, the daughter of a Japanese colonel. When his father-in-law learns that Jin-ho is Korean, he sends the young man to serve in the army in Manchuria where he hopes the soldier will be killed. Jin-ho deserts and tries to live a quiet life with his wife, but her father has decided to hunt him down and kill him.