Seneca’s foster son, the Emperor Nero, grows weary of his mentor and orders him to kill himself. Seneca complies but his death is agonisingly slow. Cue John Malkovich in the role of the great philosopher in uproar, railing against tyranny. Bliss!
早上，虔誠的農場主陶爾（Max von Sydow 飾）夫妻做過了禱告，隨後安排女兒卡琳騎馬為教堂送一些蠟燭，卡琳穿上了新制的盛裝，邀請家裡的養女英格麗同行。有孕在身的英格麗性格放縱，並一直嫉妒卡琳的明媚人生，出行前，英格麗在食物中塞進了一隻蛤蟆。行至一片森林前，英格麗讓卡琳獨自上路而自己尾隨觀察。林中的三個牧羊人看到孤身一人的卡琳頓起歹意，他們奸污後又打死了卡琳，擄走她的外套。傍晚，三名牧羊人投宿陶爾家中，向陶爾妻子兜售卡琳的衣物，驚慌的英格麗亦同時回到家中，她向陶爾懺悔了自己詛咒卡琳的罪行。陶爾沐
