In Jean Vigo`s romantic, slyly humorous masterpiece, Juliette (Dita Parlo), a naove village girl, marries Jean (Jean Daste), the captain of the river barge, L`Atalante, in order to see the world. Their marriage is plagued early on by Juliette`s doubts, and by Jean`s reluctance to let his beautiful wife explore their ports of call. The marital strain reaches the breaking point with the interference of eccentric, worldly bargeman, Pere Jules (Michel Simon), and a handsome traveling entertainer (Gilles Margaritis). Will Juliette chose the lights of Paris over her life with Jean on L`Atalante?