In a remote valley in Austria in the early 20th century a curmudgeonly farmer dies. While he was a hard and even abusive taskmaster to his farmhands, he was also hostile to his neighbours. Without family, he left his farm, livestock and belongings to his farmhands, rather than to the church as expected. While three leave, demanding their share, the others stay to run it as a shared venture. Wealthy local farmers, feeling threatened by this subversive example, try to subvert the farm. The film contains graphic violence.
