Sex in Chains

Franz Sommer, an honest but unemployed newlywed, and his wife Helene face financial strain from the start. Helene takes a job selling cigars at a restaurant to help support them. A patron makes unwanted advances toward Helene; Sommer warns him to back off, but when the man refuses, Sommer pushes him and he falls, later dying from his injuries. Sommer is arrested and eventually sentenced to three years in prison.

Sommer is imprisoned in a large cell with four other inmates. Steinau is acquitted and pledges to help Sommer's wife, arranging her a better job with his business and offering friendship. Together they work to orchestrate Sommer's release. The bond between Sommer and Steinau becomes a central thread of the prison community.

Much of the remainder of the film focuses on the sexual frustration of the imprisoned men and their coping rituals, such as creating nude sculptures from breadcrumbs and water, and the smuggling of a woman's handkerchief during visitation. The atmosphere hints at deeper homoerotic undertones without explicit depiction. The dynamics among the prisoners begin to shape the events to come.

In the fifth act, Helene, desolate in Sommer's absence, travels to Steinau and sleeps with him. This act of infidelity further complicates the web of relationships surrounding Sommer. The consequences of these choices begin to reverberate through the prison and Helene's contacts.

Sommer's relationship with fellow inmate Alfred Marquis moves from subtext to foreground, as they share confidences and form a close, ambiguous bond. Marquis becomes a foil to Sommer's inner turmoil and a potential ally after discharge. The partnership complicates Sommer's expectations about life after prison.

During a prison church service, Sommer and Marquis sit together as the preacher urges them to yield not to temptation. Marquis discreetly writes Franz and Alfred in the Bible and shows it to Sommer, who remains emotionally distant and silent. The moment foreshadows the heavy choices ahead.

The next day, Helene arranges a private visit with Sommer to tell him about Steinau, but she never speaks of him. Sommer refuses to engage and remains distant, keeping the truth concealed. Their awkward encounter underscores the growing rift between them.

Steinau delivers a presentation calling for penal reform, but the officials reject his appeals. He then asks Helene to divorce Sommer and marry him, but she refuses, resisting both the practical and emotional complications. The scene reveals competing paths for redemption and escape from the prison's reach.

Marquis is released from prison, and Sommer is released shortly after him. A brief scene by the river with Marquis hints at lingering tensions and the uneasy possibilities of life on the outside. The sense of relief is tempered by the complexities of what awaits them beyond the walls.

Marquis stands by the river with another man, cynically noting that Sommer could be a target for wealth. The other man suggests using Paragraph 175 to blackmail Sommer, echoing a larger societal threat to LGBTQ individuals of the era. The conversation foreshadows danger should Sommer's past become a weapon.

Sommer returns home and is surprised by Helene's warmth, but he confesses that he no longer loves her. Helene suspects there is more to Sommer's absence than he admits, and the emotional distance between them hardens into an impasse. The revelation marks a decisive break in their marriage.

Marquis arrives with a bouquet of flowers, triggering Helene's realization of the full extent of Sommer's entanglements. Sommer, increasingly despondent, asks Helene to leave as he contemplates an end. He turns on the gas valve and, with Helene by his side, they both die in the ensuing smoke.