Eugene, a young, religious Jewish man of Russian birth, attempts to carry forth a secret mission given to him by God to liberate His people from sexual bondage. Trapped in a monotonous and isolated life and frustrated over his forbidden attraction for a Catholic girl, Eugene finds solace in his mission and a purpose that propels him to action despite the doubts expressed to him by Rabbi Cohen. His action plan involves the writings of Tolstoy (not that one, the other one), civil war-era American history and the power of moving pictures to show humanity how freedom can be achieved through sexual liberation. When his plan fails, Eugene is forced to realize that the Word of God may be a better means of fulfilling his mission than the word of Tolstoy. Bouncing between the real and the imaginary, the film shows how Eugene’s life is equally shaped by these two forces in his quest for personal freedom.