Set in 1920s colonial Indochina, a pretty, virginal French teenager (Jane March) meets a handsome Chinese playboy (Tony Leung Ka Fai) from a respectable family. Going against the conventions of their respective societies, the lustful pair begin a torrid affair in a seedy Saigon neighborhood. Their strong attraction towards one another is only intensified by the illicit nature of their rendezvous. Given such circumstances, can their relationship last?