During WWII, Antoine (Laurent Terzieff) comes across as an adventurous, brave, and selfless soldier, when he is forced to take refuge with Fendard (Bourvil) during one of his escapes. Fendard himself is afraid of his own shadow and unwilling to take any chances for the sake of Antoine. But after the two POWs are forced to make another break for it, they each undergo a definite character transformation that almost reverses their personalities...