The American Robert Jordan, who voluntarily takes part in the civil war in Spain on the Republican side, receives a task from the center - to blow up the bridge before the offensive. A few days before the offensive, he should spend at the location of the partisan detachment of a certain Pablo. They say about Pablo that at the beginning of the war he was very brave and killed the Nazis more than the bubonic plague, and then he became rich and would now be happy to retire. Pablo refuses to participate in this matter, which promises the squad some trouble, but Jordan is unexpectedly supported by the fifty-year-old Pilar, the wife of Pablo, who enjoys immeasurably greater respect among the partisans than her husband. Those who seek security lose everything, she says. She is unanimously elected squad leader.
Pilar is an ardent republican, she is devoted to the people's cause and will never turn off the chosen path. In this strong, wise woman, many talents lurk, she also has the gift of clairvoyance: the very first evening, looking at Robert's hand, she realized that he was completing his life's journey. And then she saw that between Robert and the girl Maria, who had nailed to the detachment after the Nazis killed her parents and she was raped, a bright, rare in power sensation flared up. She does not interfere with the development of their love relationship, and knowing how little time is left, she herself pushes them towards each other. All the time that Mary spent with the detachment, Pilar gradually healed her soul, and now the wise Spaniard understands: only pure, true love will heal the girl. The first night, Mary comes to Robert.
The next day, Robert, instructing old Anselmo to watch the road, and Raphael to monitor the change of sentries at the bridge, goes with Pilar and Maria to El Sordo, the commander of the neighboring partisan detachment. On the way, Pilar tells how the revolution began in the small Spanish town, in their homeland with Pablo, and how the people dealt with the local fascists there. People stood in two lines - one opposite the other, picked up flails and clubs and drove the Nazis through the ranks. This was done on purpose: so that everyone carries his share of responsibility. Everyone was beaten to death - even those who were known as a good person - and then thrown off a cliff into the river. Everyone died in different ways: who accepted death with dignity, and who whined and asked for mercy. The priest was killed right during prayer. Yes, apparently, God was canceled in Spain, Pilar sighs, because if he were, would he allow this fratricidal war? Now there is no one to forgive people - because there is neither God, nor the Son of God, nor the Holy Spirit.
The story Pilar awakens his own thoughts and memories in Robert Jordan. The fact that he is now fighting in Spain is not surprising. Spain is associated with his profession (he teaches Spanish at the university) and service; he often visited here before the war, loves the people of Spain, and he does not care what the fate of this people will be like. Jordan is not red, but there is no reason to expect good from the Nazis. So, we must win this war. And then he will write a book about everything and then he will finally be freed from the horror that accompanies any war.
Robert Jordan suggests that when preparing for the explosion of the bridge, he may die: he has too few people at his disposal - seven with Pablo and the same with El Sordo, but he has plenty to do: you need to remove posts, cover the road, etc. And so on. to happen that it was here that he met his first true love. Maybe that's all he can take from life? Or is it his whole life, and instead of seventy years, it will last seventy hours? Three days. However, there is nothing to grieve here: for seventy hours you can live a fuller life than for seventy years.
When Robert Jordan, Pilar and Maria, having received the consent of El Sordo to get the horses and take part in the operation, return to the camp, it suddenly begins to snow. It brings down and brings down, and this unusual phenomenon for the end of May can ruin the whole thing. In addition, Pablo drinks all the time, and Jordan is afraid that this unreliable person can do great harm.
El Sordo procured horses, as promised, in the event of a retreat after a sabotage, but due to snow falling the fascist detachment notices traces of partisans and horses leading to the camp of El Sordo. Jordan and the fighters from the Pablo detachment hear the echo of the battle, but they cannot intervene: then the whole operation necessary for a successful attack can fail. The entire El Sordo detachment perishes, the fascist lieutenant, walking around a hill strewn with the corpses of partisans and soldiers, shines on himself with a cross and mentally pronounces what can often be heard in the republican camp: what a heinous thing war is!
Failure does not end there. On the night before the offensive, Pablo escapes from the camp, taking with him a box with a fuse and a Bikford cord - important things for sabotage. Without them, you can also manage, but it is more difficult, and the risk is greater.
Old man Anselmo reports to Jordan about the movements on the road: the Nazis are pulling up equipment. Jordan writes a detailed report to the front commander General Goltz, informing that the enemy clearly knows about the impending offensive: what Goltz was counting on - surprise, now will not work. The parcel of Holtz agrees to deliver the Andres partisans. If he manages to deliver the message before dawn, Jordan has no doubt that the attack will be postponed, and with it the date of the bridge’s explosion. But for now, you need to prepare ...
On the last night, lying next to Mary, Robert Jordan seemed to summarize his life and came to the conclusion that she had not lived in vain. He is not afraid of death, he is only afraid of the thought: what if he does not do his duty properly. Jordan remembers his grandfather - he also participated in the Civil War, only in America - in the war between the North and the South. She was probably as scary as this one. And apparently, Anselmo is right in saying that those who fight on the side of the fascists are not fascists, but the same poor as the people in the republican detachments. But it’s better not to think about all this, otherwise anger will disappear, and without it you can’t complete the tasks.
The next morning, Pablo unexpectedly returned to the squad, he brought people and horses with him. Dropping Jordan’s detonator under a hot hand, he soon felt remorse and realized that he was simply not able to remain alone when his former comrades were fighting. Then he developed a frenzied activity, gathering volunteers around the neighborhood for a rally against the Nazis all night.
Not knowing whether Andres got a report to Goltz or not, Jordan and the partisans take off and move through the gorge to the river. It was decided to leave Mary with the horses, and to do the rest, if the offensive begins, in each case. Jordan and old Anselmo descend to the bridge and take off the sentries. The American sets dynamite at the supports. Now, whether the bridge will be blown up depends only on whether the offensive will begin or not.
Meanwhile, Andres can not get through to Loach. Having overcome the initial difficulties in crossing the front line, when he was nearly blown up with a grenade, Andres gets stuck at the very last stage: he is detained by the chief commissioner of the International Brigades. War is changing not only people like Pablo. The commissioner has recently become very suspicious, he hopes that he will succeed in detaining this man from the Nazi rear to convict Goltz in connection with the enemy.
When Andres finally miraculously gets to Loach - it's too late: the offensive cannot be canceled.
The bridge is blown up. In the explosion, old Anselmo dies. Those who survived are in a hurry to leave. During the retreat, a shell explodes next to Jordan's horse, which falls and crushes the rider. Jordan has a broken leg, and he realizes that he cannot ride with the others. The main thing for him is to convince Mary to leave him. After what they had, Jordan tells the girl, they will always be together. She will take him with her. Wherever she goes, he will always be with her. If she leaves, he leaves too - so she will save him.
Left alone, Jordan freezes in front of a machine gun, leaning against a tree trunk. The world is a good place, he thinks, worth fighting for it. You have to kill, if necessary - just do not love killing. And now he will try to end his life well - to detain the enemy here, at least to kill the officer. It can solve a lot.
And then an officer of the enemy army leaves for a glade ...
