The ruthlessly ambitious Lt. Theodor Lohse (Ulrich Mühe) vows to regain face after the resounding defeat of Germany in World War I, no matter what -- or who -- stands in his way. Lohse wins a coveted position with a secret police organization in exchange for sexual favors, and begins to carry out his vengeful agenda. When Lohse's anti-Semitic leanings set him on a collision course with Jewish informant Benjamin Lenz (Klaus Maria Brandauer), the two men become entangled in a blackmail plot.