Trama

Following the discovery of his sexual impotence a man urges his wife to take a lover.

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife". Roman, after discovering his impotence, urges his wife Hanka to take a lover. She reluctantly complies, and Roman, despite his earlier words, becomes obsessively jealous. Spying on her, he learns of her affair, and vows to kill himself - not knowing that Hanka was in fact breaking off the relationship...—Michael Brooke <michael@everyman.demon.co.uk>

Roman Nycz is a surgeon at a hospital in Warsaw. After finding out about his impotence, Roman (Piotr Machalica) meets his friend Mikolaj (Jerzy Trela), who is a doctor in Krakow, for treatment. Mikolaj informs him that no treatment can now improve his condition and also advises him to divorce his wife. Disappointed with the results, Roman returns home and tells his wife Hanka (Ewa Blaszczyk) about the situation. Hanka is unruffled by his words. She ignores his sexual dysfunction and promises to stay with him.

At the hospital, Roman meets a heart patient Ola (Jolanta Pietek-Górecka), who expresses her desire to be operated by him before she resumes her singing career. She tells him about Van den Budenmayer, one of her favorite Composer. After talking to Ola, Roman buys a Budenmayer record. An unknown caller ringing for Hanka makes Roman suspect that Hanka is having an affair with someone. Roman decides to tap the phone at his house to listen to Hanka's conversations.

While driving Roman finds a Physics notebook of a someone named Mariusz (Jan Jankowski) in the glove box. He presumes that Mariusz is Hanka's paramour. Next day, when he drops Hanka to her office, she asks him to get a shawl and umbrella from her Mother's flat and gives him the key. Seizing the opportunity Roman gets a duplicate of the key made. At the flat, he finds a mail for Hanka from Mariusz. Roman purposefully returns home earlier that evening. He finds that Hanka and Mariusz are in the flat together, but chooses not to confront them.

Hanka reads the body language of Roman and realizes that he might have found out about Mariusz. She calls Mariusz and asks him to meet next Thursday evening; Roman overhears the conversation. On Thursday evening Hanka tells Mariusz that she wants to break up with him. Mariusz is shocked and begs her to rethink, but Hanka is determined to end this affair before Roman finds out about it. Roman watches everything hiding in the closet. After Mariusz leaves, Hanka discovers Roman hiding in the closet. She questions his intentions only to realize he already knows everything. She begs him not to leave her, but Roman finds the situation too difficult to accept. Finally, they do decide to stay together and move on.

A few days later, Roman sends Hanka away on a skiing holiday to Zakopane. While driving Roman sees Mariusz with skis in his car. Roman becomes skeptical and calls at Mariusz's home. The mother of Mariusz confirms that he has gone to Zakopane. Roman is distraught and is unable to cope with another betrayal. He leaves a letter for Hanka at home and attempts suicide. Roman is saved but badly injured.

At Zakopane Hanka finds that Mariusz is also there, she knows about the possible consequences of any misunderstanding with Roman. She calls Roman but he is neither at the hospital nor at home. She decides to hurry back to Warsaw. Hanka reaches home and reads Roman's suicide letter.

The hospital staff informs Roman that Hanka had called earlier to inform she is coming back from Zakopane. The nurse calls Hanka for Roman and he tells Hanka that he is alright.