一个漂泊各地的男人来到一所旅馆当服务生，在这里他结识了美丽的女服务员Anna和性格古怪的刷盘工Gustav。Anna和Gustav有私情但非出于她自愿。Gustav潜藏着可怕的犯罪欲望，他给新来的这个服务生起名叫Giliap并教唆他帮助实施自己的一个劫囚计划。Anna爱上了Giliap并希望同他私奔但被Giliap拒绝。一天，Anna突然不告而别...

In a minor town the morose manager is primarily responsible for the bad atmosphere of a restaurant. But central for the plot are three persons: a male waiter who is never named (here called W), the female waiter Anna, and "the count", a self-invented nickname by a man cleaning plates. The count is skilled in making others do what he wants. Half a dozen of the personnel assist in a poorly planned and failed attempt to liberate a man whom the police move from one arrest to another. The event involves stealing a motorcycle and threatening policemen with a gun. Anna strongly tries to make contact with W. Finally it turns out that she need his help to break her sexual relation to the count, a relation that from her part is not motivated by positive feelings. W rejects her attempts. And then Anna has suddenly gone. She has got a pleasant job in another town. And then W's feelings awaken.

Roy Anderssonin toinen elokuva sijoittuu rähjäiseen hotelliin, jossa aloittaa tarjoilijana nuori mies, joka ei ole löytänyt paikkaansa elämässä.

아직 자신의 뚜렷한 방향을 찾지 못한 젊은 남자 길리압이 낡은 호텔에서 종업원으로 잠시 일하게 된다. 영화는 호텔 종업원들 간의 관계를 다루면서도 주로 젊은 길리압과 아름다운 애나의 관계에 주목한다. 부자연스러운 길리압의 모습 때문에 이들의 관계는 쉽사리 발전하지 못한다.

Till ett sjaskigt hotell i en svensk stad kommer Giliap för att arbeta som servitör. Isoleringen och ensamheten delar han med servitrisen Anna. Bland de vinddrivna existenserna på hotellet finns Greven, som är förälskad i Anna, men hon dras till Giliap.