The Soviets return to Lithuania in the dying days of World War II. Over a hundred thousand Lithuanian partisans take to the forests to resist the occupation. As the communist reprisals and brutal oppression strikes even the student body. At the university of Kaunas, students decide to flee into the forests and join the partisans. Amongst them are Lukas, his brother Vincentas and also Elena.

The life of the partisans in the forest is austere. Amongst the trees, the partisans plot strikes against key positions of Russian occupation. Lukas proves his worth through a combination of sharp shooting and leadership skills.

Elena works in local communist headquarters and so is privy to the flow of information. In her many trips to the partisans with information, Elena and Lukas find one another and fall in love. Capitalising on the relationship, the partisan command decides to embark on a bold plot to assassinate the local communist leadership.

Lukas and Elena use their wedding to lure the local communist leadership into one room. After a dramatic shooting of Soviet agents and officers during their wedding party, Lukas and Elena become folk heroes for their deeds. They later get married while continuing the fight.

When a traitor betrays their secret bunker in 1947, Lukas and his unit are forced to scatter. Believing his beloved Elena has been killed in the raid, Lukas flees the country to the West where he is tasked with finding support for the Lithuanian partisans. Unfortunately the help he is seeking is not forthcoming in the West as the world slowly grinds into the Cold War. The western powers are unwilling to send troops to help.

Unwilling to turn himself into a pawn and operative for the espionage agents of the West, Lukas settles down in Paris. There, Lukas finds peace of mind and falls in love again; he marries another ex-pat Lithuanian Monika and begins his life anew.

Years pass. As though from nowhere, Lukas receives news from his former contacts that Elena is still alive and that he must 3 return to Lithuania. Lukas tears himself from Monika who begs him not to go. Lukas parachutes back into Lithuania. After linking up with his former comrades, he finds Elena; only to discover it was a trap set to lure Lukas back into the country.

Lukas is arrested, interrogated and shot.

Years later, Monika visits Lithuania to find out what happened. She cannot find the information, even though she unknowingly meets Elena.