People on Sunday

The film opens at Bahnhof Zoo as Saturday morning crowds fill the station and surrounding streets. The camera establishes the city as a lively, restless backdrop. Five central characters will carry the weekend's events across the frame.

Wolfgang spots Christl waiting and buys her an ice cream, teasing her about being stood up. He invites her to a picnic the next day, setting in motion a flirtatious dynamic. The scene introduces Wolfgang's charm and the film's light, social mood.

While repairing his taxi, Erwin's depot receives a call from his girlfriend Annie asking about a cinema outing. He treats the suggestion coolly, signaling a casual, strained relationship. The moment hints at the film's recurring motif of cinema's diminished importance.

Erwin arrives back at the apartment to find Annie moping and the couple embroiled in a petty fight. They argue over cherished pictures of movie stars and whether Annie should wear the hat brim up or down. The argument showcases the couple's sniping, self-centered dynamics.

Wolfgang enters the dispute and the cinema plans fade as he and Erwin drink beer together. They decide to head to the countryside the following day, extending the weekend's social plans. Annie's absence from cinema remains unresolved amid casual male camaraderie.

The two men, joined by Christl and Brigitte, board a train toward Nikolassee for a day by the water. Annie lingers at home, sleeping through the start of the weekend's trip. The group ventures into Berlin's outskirts, seeking leisure away from the city center.

The group reaches Wannsee where they picnic, swim, and play a portable gramophone. Wolfgang flirts with Brigitte, drawing Christl's annoyance as tension edges into the outing. The day unfolds with carefree sociability, punctuated by flirtations.

In a secluded forest spot, Wolfgang and Brigitte retreat from the group and make love. The moment marks a shift in the dynamic and highlights the weekend's romantic improvisations. Christl remains outside the couple's inner circle, observing with mixed feelings.

The four return to the water for a boat ride, during which Erwin and Wolfgang flirt with two girls in a rowing boat. The scene emphasizes the playful, sometimes reckless energy of the group. The lighthearted moment contrasts with emerging relationship tensions.

Back in Berlin, Brigitte asks to meet again the following Sunday. Wolfgang agrees, but Erwin recalls they had planned to attend a football match instead, leaving the arrangement unresolved. The tension reveals competing desires within the group.

Erwin returns to the apartment to find Annie still lying in bed, slowly waking to the day planned for their own excursion. He snaps at her as he reveals what time it is, underscoring their ongoing domestic strain. The moment mirrors the earlier weekend's petty disputes.

The film returns to shots of Berlin streets as intertitles announce Monday's return to work and the cyclical weekend wait for the next Sunday. The message emphasizes the grind of daily life and the recurring pattern of youth in the city. The end frames leave the characters in a limbo between freedom and obligation.