故事发生在二十世纪初期的荷兰鹿特丹,德高望重的德莱文哈文(简·德克莱尔 Jan Decleir 饰)死于非命,一位名叫雅各布(费德贾·范·胡艾特 Fedja van Huêt 饰)的年轻律师遭到了逮捕,尽管证据确凿,但雅各布依然坚称自己的清白无辜,让大家感到惊讶的是,经过调查,德莱文哈文和雅各布看似毫无瓜葛,但却是血脉相连的父子。
原来,雅各布是德莱文哈文的私生子,当年,冷酷无情的德莱文哈文抛弃了身怀六甲的约芭(Betty Schuurman 饰),后者正是雅各布的生母。长大后的雅各布诸事不顺,面临着破产的命运,之后,雅各布立志成为一名律师,但却处处受阻,而这一切的始作俑者不是别人,正是他的亲生父亲。。67岁的老人特罗德痛失所爱,失去了“与人对话的兴趣”,准备退隐山林独居,平静地度过余生。一次与邻人的偶遇,让他又回忆起与父亲在山林中度过的那个夏天,那是他最后一次见到父亲,而他余生的命运也在那个夏天被永远注定。影片由挪威最负盛名的作家,诺贝尔文学奖候选人佩尔·彼得松代表作改编,影片充分吸收了原著的文学韵律,令观众回味悠长。。一个年轻的拿破仑军官追踪一个神秘的女人而来到一个年迈男爵的城堡,在那里他发现这个女人是听命于一个老巫婆,其最终目的是迫使男爵自杀……
Roger directed for two days on a set left over from a previous production, and without a proper script. He hired Francis Coppola to write a script and finish the picture. After five weeks of shooting, Roger fired Francis, and hired me to finish the picture. Jack Hill was hired to write a new script with me. A lot of what Francis shot was thrown out, except for the stuff with the witch from WIZARD OF OZ. (Dorothy Newman), and I finished the picture in five days of shooting. All of the interiors are Roger's (with the exception of Francis's witch's lair), and most of the exteriors are mine. To the best of my recollection, and contrary to legend, Jack Nicholson did not direct any of the film.。