The Woman I Love

During a Paris theatre air raid, Lt. Jean Herbillion sits beside a woman who calls herself Denise. The theatre is evacuated in panic and Denise is knocked out in the crowd, so Jean stays with her in the orchestra pit until she awakens. They spend the evening talking, and he reveals he's hours away from joining a squadron. Denise asks him to mail her by General Delivery, hinting that she may be moving.

Jean arrives at the squadron to find a generally upbeat, patriotic group of men. The squadron's top pilot, Lt. Claude Maury, has a reputation for lone-wolf missions and dangerous flights. Jean volunteers to fly with Claude as his observer, and the two form a close bond as they discuss what keeps them fighting.

Claude gives Jean a letter to deliver to his wife. When Jean goes to the address, he discovers Denise is actually Helene, his own wife. Helene explains her loyalty to her husband but reveals that Claude’s dangerous combat behavior has driven a wedge between them, and she admits she loves Jean more. Jean is horrified at the prospect of betraying his best friend and cuts off contact.

Helene learns the squadron will have an extended stay in a nearby city and tells Claude of her plan to visit. She does not tell Jean about the visit, keeping her own secret liaison in play. Claude grows increasingly unsettled by the closeness developing between Jean and his wife.

To cope with Helene's absence, Jean begins a pretense of pursuing a relationship with a saloon girl named Florence. The ruse becomes tangled when Florence's ex-boyfriend confronts Jean, triggering a brawl that draws Claude's attention. The confrontation foreshadows growing strain within the squad.

Claude steps in to discipline Jean for the brawl, signaling that the squad enforces its codes of conduct even off the battlefield. The punishment heightens tension between Jean and Helene, who is visiting. The rift between leadership and camaraderie widens as loyalties are tested.

Despite the turmoil, Jean and Helene meet in a church and reaffirm their mutual passion. They acknowledge the conflict between duty and love, trying to navigate their tangled loyalties under pressure. The moment solidifies a dangerous undercurrent within the unit.

Helene informs Jean of a general offer to stay in Paris to train more pilots, but he volunteers to remain with the squadron. Claude grows suspicious, sensing power plays and the burden of possible betrayal. Captain Thellis intervenes, warning Jean that staying would look cowardly to the other men, so Jean remains with his squad.

On the eve of a major dogfight, Claude directly asks Jean if he has had an affair with his wife, and Jean continues to deny it. The confrontation intensifies the strain between them, threatening their ability to cooperate in the air. Despite the tension, they decide to fly together the next day.

They take to the skies and shoot down several enemy fighters, demonstrating their dangerous teamwork. Upon returning, Jean is killed and Claude is badly wounded, a tragic culmination of the day’s perilous mission. The battle leaves the squadron shattered and their fates forever altered.

In the aftermath, Claude discovers a signed photo of Jean and Helene and, in his dying moments, struggles to tear it up. He finally finishes tearing the photo, a stark symbol of the web of loyalties, love, and lies that have ensnared them all. The image becomes a haunting reminder of what has been lost.

Jean's younger brother Georges visits Claude in the hospital, seeking to understand the events of his brother’s last moments. Claude tells him that Jean died asking for his mother and Georges, a version that softens the tragedy in the boy’s eyes. The moment shifts the focus from war to the human cost behind the heroism.

After Georges departs, Claude admits that he lied about Jean calling out for his mother and Georges. He confesses that his version was an attempt to spare the boy, and he contemplates what Denise (Helene) must be feeling. The admission reveals the true weight of his own guilt.

Helene continues to minister to a recovering Claude, trying to keep her emotions in check as she tends to him. The pair are left to confront the consequences of their tangled relationships, with Jean's memory casting a long shadow over every decision. The hospital scene closes on a note of unresolved longing and loyalty.