Haunted by memories of World War II, specifically the Hiroshima bombings, a French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) also dwell upon the memories of their now ended affair. Director Alain Resnais repeatedly cuts to the same scenes, ingrained in both their memories, but their very different perspectives lead to disagreements as their memories shape the way they interact and view the world. The tension continually and gradually crescendos until the quietly haunting finale, when they both confront the one memory at the heart of their troubles.
—Evan Cogswell