An aspiring playwright, Paul Javal (Michel Piccoli) finds himself caught between the creative director (Fritz Lang playing himself) and the crass producer Prokosch (Jack Palance) on a movie version of Homer's 'The Odyssey'. While the director wants to faithfully re-create Homer's world, the producer waves his chequebook and wants more mermaids. When Paul finds himself swayed by the power of the producer's money, he finds his wife Camille (Brigitte Bardot) begins to regard him with increasing contempt.