In Italy 1916, Oreste Jacovacci and Giovanni Busacca shall serve the army in the First World War, like all the young Italien men. They try to avoid serving the army but they meet again on the train that takes them to the front. At a secondary and quite front Oreste and Giovanni become friends. Giovanni falls in love with the prostitute Constantina. But as the battle come closer, the quite time is over. In the battle between Italiens and Austro-Hungarians, Giovanni and Oreste shall deliver a message to the Italian headquarters. But they fall in the hands of an Austrian officer that wants to find out what this message is about and threatens them.