Beware of Pity

The film opens in post-World War II Britain with an older Anton Marek giving romantic advice to a young man. He then begins recounting a memory from his past, signaling a shift into a long flashback. The frame sets up a contrast between memory and present-day perspectives on love and regret.

In the days before the First World War, Lieutenant Marek is assigned to an Austro-Hungarian cavalry regiment stationed in a small town. There he meets Baroness Edith de Kekesfalva, a paraplegic heiress whose spirit has been dampened by a riding accident. Her presence brightens the household and catches the attention of her hosts.

The Baron asks Marek to keep Edith company, hoping to lift her morale. Dr. Albert Condor, a determined physician, is consulted and begins to observe Edith's improvement as linked to Marek's companionship. Marek remains largely unaware of Edith's budding feelings.

Condor points to a possible Swiss treatment that might restore Edith's ability to walk, while Edith falls in love with Marek. Marek, cautious and unknowing, is swept by the changes around him. The family clings to a fragile hope, even as Condor urges patience.

Marek's enthusiasm about the treatment leads Edith to reveal her love openly, but Condor later informs him that the treatment cannot help. The realization shatters Edith's hope and leaves Marek filled with guilt. Marek begins to confront the consequences of his role in Edith's romantic hopes.

Unable to face the social scandal, Marek publicly denies any engagement with Edith. His fellow officers question his loyalty and reason, increasing the pressure on his reputation. The baron's household braces for the fallout.

When confronted by his commanding officer, Marek admits the truth to minimize scandal, and is transferred to a faraway unit. The physical separation from Edith marks a turning point in the memory and foreshadows the tragedy to come. The decision reshapes his future in the war.

Marek returns to Condor's home to find the doctor away; Klara, Condor's blind wife, speaks with him and urges him to recognize that he may love Edith after all. Her quiet counsel plants a possible future with Edith, though it's not yet realized. This moment hints at the inner conflict Marek would face.

Marek attempts to telephone Edith to clear the air, but civilian lines are barred because of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that same day. The moment underscores the collapsing prewar calm and the rapid approach of war. Marek must set off for military duties.

With war looming, Marek boards a train to report for duty with his new unit, while Klara promises to see Edith and clear things up. The journey marks a countdown to the war that will redefine all their lives.

Edith, alone on the family mansion's rooftop terrace, has heard of Marek's denial and loses trust in everyone. Unable to reconcile with her sorrow, she wheels herself to the edge and dies by suicide. Her death closes the memory in tragedy.

The memory ends as the framing device returns to the present; Marek's tale leaves the young man and the audience with questions about love, responsibility, and the cost of avoidance. The film shifts back to the present-day conversation and the unsettled past.