This film is based on Rainer Werner Fassbinder's play "Tropfen auf heiße Steine". In Germany in the 1970s, Léopold (Bernard Giraudeau), a 50 year old businessman, meets Franz (Malik Zidi), who is 20. He invites him back to his place and a love affair begins. One day, something of little importance leads to a difference of opinion. And from then on, there is no such thing as "we" anymore. The movie is structured in four Acts.
In Act 1 Léopold and Franz meet. Franz is supposed to be meeting his fiancée Anna (Ludivine Sagnier), but tells Léopold he is not sure if he loves Anna, he does not enjoy sex with her, and finds more pleasure in books, theatre and life in general. Léopold asks him if he has ever slept with a man. Franz says he has not, but describes a dream where a man comes into his bedroom in an overcoat and has sex with him. Léopold says he once lived with a woman for seven years, but has always enjoyed sex with men better. They kiss, and Léopold tells Franz to get undressed and get into bed. He then appears in an overcoat ready to re-enact Franz's dream.
Act 2 begins six months later. Léopold is living happily with Franz, who stays at home while Léopold goes on business trips. When Léopold returns, Franz tends to him and has become very passive. Léopold has become domineering. The two men argue a lot and Franz worries about Léopold leaving him, but they still have a satisfying sexual relationship. One night, a sad Léopold says he believes he has driven one of his customers to commit suicide. Franz, unsure how to comfort Léopold, seduces him, and they perform the role-play from their first night together, this time with roles reversed.
In Act 3 Franz and Léopold are still enjoying sex together but the animosity between them is growing. Franz threatens to leave, but does not go through with it. When Léopold is away on business, Franz is bored and depressed. He finds a gun and imagines shooting himself. One day Anna visits and sees how unhappy he is. She tells him that she still loves him and wants to be with him. They kiss, and Franz acts out the "man in the overcoat" fantasy with her.
In Act 4 Franz and Anna have been sleeping together in Léopold's apartment for two days. Although he still loves Léopold, Franz agrees that he and Anna should leave. Léopold returns from work and finds them packing. Anna tells him that Franz is leaving, but Léopold just laughs and tells Franz to get them some coffee. Léopold's ex-girlfriend Véra (Anna Levine) arrives and Léopold says she is a male-to-female transsexual. Véra is still in love with Léopold. He then tells them that Véra enjoys being tied up, and that Franz likes it too. Léopold starts ordering the two women about. They are excited and do whatever he wants. Franz is disgusted. Léopold tells him that although he does not need Franz, Franz needs him. When Léopold and the women go to the bedroom, Franz goes to join them but changes his mind. In the bedroom, Véra realises that they do not need her and leaves. She finds Franz lying on the floor crying. She tells him that she is Léopold's "creature", that after he stopped desiring her, she had a sex change operation for him. It worked for a while but Léopold eventually left Véra. Franz tells her she is still beautiful and despite the fact they both love Léopold, she suggests that they get together. Franz tells her that it is too late. He has taken some poison and is dying. He says that he is Léopold's creature too. Franz dies. When Véra tells Léopold, he seems unconcerned. Anna is shocked and upset, but when Léopold tells her to get back into bed, she does. Léopold asks Véra to join them in bed, telling her that although he does not need her, she needs him.
This brightly coloured sex fable was written by François Ozon from Rainer Werner Fassbinder's play. The soundtrack features music from Françoise Hardy, Gustav Mahler, Giuseppe Verdi, George Frideric Handel, and Tony Holiday. François Ozon directed. In French with English subtitles, the English title is "Water Drops on Burning Rocks".
