A young soldier, a librarian by profession and a pacifist by nature, reports for basic military service at a border barracks. Bullying reigns supreme at the unit, quietly tolerated by the officers. Private Adam resists and physically attacks the leader of the senior soldiers, but he stands no chance and later ends up in hospital. Private Banýr, an artistic blacksmith in civilian life, is even murdered by the senior soldiers. The librarian and the gypsy Aladar become the main targets of bullying. The two flee together and stage an attempt to escape across the border. Aladar is shot by the senior soldiers and the librarian is detained by border guards, but the entire group of senior soldiers is brought to trial.