The Body of Diana

Julien, a Parisian architect, searches for inspiration for the design of a new theatre in Besançon in the Prague theatre building where, many years ago, the premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni was held. He arrives in Prague accompanied by his lover, Beatrice. In the theatre, a Parisien ballet group is just rehearsing a performance inspired by the work of Heinrich von Kleist. Julien recognizes the set designer, who is on stage with the dancers. Her name is Diana and he was very close to her years ago in Paris. Julien talks Diana into a walk through Prague and soon they become lovers again. Beatrice returns to Paris in disappointment, and equally disappointed is Diana's intimate girlfriend - dancer Genevieve. Upon the two new lovers' return to Paris, Diana moves in with Julien and later marries him. However, the marriage is constantly spoiled by the husband's pathological jealousy. Julien's design was not approved, either. The architect moreover got buried in Kleist's biography and is fascinated by the description of his suicide, preceded by the murder of his lover. Diana is forced to lie even about banal meetings. Julien, possessed by jealousy to the point of madness, decides to imitate Kleist's act. He returns to the Bohemia with Diana, to places where they used to be happy. The woman senses danger, and upon reading Julien's good-bye letter, which was handed to her by a chambermaid by mistake, is watchful. On their walk, she pushes Julien away in self-defence and the man kills himself in the fall from a rock.