It tells the story of Therese (Alida Valli), a Puteaux café owner mourning the mysterious disappearance of her husband sixteen years earlier.

Sixteen years after the end of World War II, Thérèse Langlois owns a pub in Puteaux, Paris.

The tramp, who says he lives by the river, reveals he is suffering from amnesia but carries identification indicating his name is Robert Landais.

After the tramp leaves, Thérèse follows him to the river and studies his face and movements; she becomes convinced he is, in fact, her long-lost husband, Albert Langlois.

In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter ranked the film 68th among 69 counted winners of the Palme d'Or to date, judging it forgettable.