In the District Court, a jury hears about the fatal poisoning of a merchant Smyelkov.

Maslova is innocent, but, as a result of a miscarriage of justice, she is sentenced to four years' hard labor in Siberia.

Feeling guilty about this, Nekhlyudov decides to hire a well-known lawyer for her, to appeal her conviction, and to help her with money.

[2] Struck by the injustice in the court, Nekhlyudov begins to feel disgust for, and an aversion to, all the people with whom he interacts with in his daily life, in particular to the representatives of high society.

[1] Tamara Syomina's acting was praised by Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masina.