Summary
Returning to a Vienna scarred by conflict, Max, a master of subtle deception, and his weary partner Nick find themselves cast into the brutal throes of post-war destitution. Their survival hinges on abandoning their scruples, transforming their innate cunning into a profession of thievery. Prosperity, however fleeting, soon follows. Yet, their meticulously built world is unexpectedly breached by Anna, a young pickpocket whose own desperation mirrors their past. What begins as a chance encounter blossoms into an intense, almost defiant romance, culminating in a night of shared solace on a towering Ferris wheel. But Anna's burgeoning moral compass clashes with Max's illicit life when she witnesses a theft, compelling him to a moment of restitution. Nick, perceiving Anna as a threat to his bond with Max and their fragile stability, orchestrates her arrest. In a final, poignant act of loyalty and self-sacrifice, Nick shoulders the blame, paving the way for Max and Anna to forge a new, honest beginning.
Synopsis
Max, a sleight-of-hand artist, and his partner Nick, impoverished by the war, return to Vienna, the scene of earlier, happy days. Like many people driven to desperation, Max becomes a professional thief rather than starve; and Nick, in spite of scruples, also succumbs. Soon they are again prosperous, and Max is accosted by Anna, a poor girl reduced to picking pockets; he takes her to a restaurant and then to an amusement park, and they are soon caught up in a blissful romance, spending the night on the Ferris wheel. Anna takes a job as waitress in a beer garden, witnesses Max stealing a diamond brooch from a customer, and compels him to return it; Nick, convinced that her intrusion is destroying his friendship, causes her arrest. Ultimately, however, Nick takes the blame for the crime, leaving the lovers to start a new life.
