Circus

Marion Dixon flees a lynch mob in a rural American town, clutching her baby as she fights to slip away. The fear of violence and the will to protect her child drive her into the uncertain future.

Franz von Kneishitz seizes Dixon's vulnerability and coerces her into becoming his lover, using blackmail to keep her under his control. The arrangement binds her to a man who profits from her talent and misery.

Dixon travels to Moscow to perform as a guest artist, entering a world of prestige and peril far from home. The environment tests her resolve as she navigates new dangers and opportunities.

Ludvig, the Moscow circus director, hires Arctic explorer Ivan Martynov to craft a new act that will outshine Dixon's famous 'Trip to the Moon'. Martynov's presence signals a showdown of talent and ambition.

Dixon and Martynov develop genuine affection, offering Dixon a glimpse of happiness she thought unattainable. Their growing bond complicates loyalty and stirs Kneishitz's jealousy and rage.

Kneishitz's anger explodes in savage discipline as he beats Dixon with his whip. The cruelty underscores the power he wields over her and the danger she faces.

Kneishitz diverts Dixon's love letter to Skameikin, sowing jealousy and tearing at the fragile web holding the performances together. The circus is plunged into turmoil as loyalties collide.

Rayechka learns the truth about the lovers and aids Dixon in escaping Kneishitz's grasp. The act of defiance shifts Dixon from victim to survivor planning a future with Martynov.

Dixon and Martynov arrive late to the circus, forcing Ludvig to attempt the top act of 1903, the 'miracle of technology', to keep the audience engaged. The stakes rise as the show must go on.

Dixon and Martynov perform their dangerous 'Trip to the Stratosphere' act together, signaling their renewed partnership and defiance of Kneishitz's control. The crowd responds with awe as the romance anchors the spectacle.

Kneishitz interrupts the performance to reveal Dixon's secret and demand Jimmy, but the audience rejects him, laughing at his racially charged tirade. The director Ludvig reframes the moment as a demonstration that race and purity have no place in the Soviet audience.

A lullaby is sung to Jimmy by representatives of various Soviet ethnicities, uniting the crowd in a message of inclusion. Dixon and Martynov declare their love as Rayechka and Skameikin become engaged, and the film closes with a May Day parade under banners honoring Lenin and Stalin.