On a winter morning in January 1945, a handcuffed soldier enters a room in a deserted French chateau. A Sergeant, armed with a rifle and a pistol, enters. He is carrying a candle. The furniture and windows are covered with dust cloths. The soldier asks for light, heat, paper and pencil. The Sergeant lights more candles, but he tells the soldier that it will be dawn soon and that they have only an hour to wait. They wait for a corporal who is supposed to bring paper and pencil. The Sergeant makes small talk by asking about the soldier's past crimes. The soldier admits to stealing a car in his youth.

The Sergeant accuses the soldier of expecting to get away with his most recent crime. The soldier replies that he never gets away with anything. He comments that he's worried about his wife because of...