Charles Aznavour’s character once performed in concert halls, but now works as a pianist in a run-down Parisian bar, where he is surrounded by hooligans and gangsters. His girlfriend tries to bring him back to his former glory, but his timidity and willlessness lead to tragic consequences for both of them. As Charly becomes more hopelessly entangled in a web of crime and love, it is revealed who Kohler really is, how he ended up down here, and why he doesn’t think about returning to the light…