根据鲁茂·戈登的原作改编,让·雷诺阿的首部彩色长片,是他和他的侄子摄影师在印度境内拍摄的影片,也是让·雷诺阿的一次感官与视觉之旅。 故事围绕三个年轻女孩的成长忧伤出发,让·雷诺阿以细致的笔触叙述古老孟加拉河流域的传奇故事。影片直接启发了一代印度大师萨蒂亚吉特·雷伊投入电影创作。Harriet, now an adult, narrates the story of her coming of age growing up as a British national and a daughter of a jute press manager in the Bengal region of India, they living in the big house on the banks of one of the holy rivers. At the time, she is the eldest of six siblings - five girls and one boy - with another on the way and with she being significantly older the rest of her siblings. As such, she spends much time with an honorary member of their family, a late teen - not quite an adult - named Valerie, also a British national and the daughter of the jute press owner. Another friend, who recently arrived home from her western schooling, is Melanie, the biracial daughter of British national Mr. John and his then deceased Hindu wife. Both Mr. John and Melanie realize her difficult position, straddling both the Hindi and western cultures. Their small world is shaken up with the arrival of Captain John, Mr. John's cousin and an American ex-military man who has one prosthetic leg the result of his time in the war. He is a somewhat sullen man who is running away from anything that reminds him of his time before his physical disability. Regardless, he has an effect on all three of Harriet, Valerie and Melanie in different ways, that effect which nonetheless tests their friendships. In combination with other things that happen may provide Harriet with a bigger view of life in her coming of age.