Nazis are about to overrun France and a Jewish man named Jacobowsky is stranded in Paris He hitches a ride with reluctant Polish serviceman Colonel Prokoszny who harbors a bias against Jews They are soon joined by Prokosznys bridetobe Suzanne who takes an immediate liking to the engaging Jacobowsky This furthers the hostility between Jacobowsky and Prokoszny but they must put their differences aside to evade the Nazis trailing them