Phillippe, a high-strung and extremely inhibited French department-store manager, vents his sexual repression by treating his employees horribly. When he falls in love with a beautiful American cellist, he is unable to reveal his feelings to her and begins to furtively watch her every move. Sadly, he discovers that the girl loves another, a fact that impels Phillippe into a complete mental collapse and a downward spiral that ultimately ends in tragedy. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide