A disillusioned knight returns home from the Crusades, only to find his country ravaged by the plague and his faith in God severely tested. Amidst this backdrop of existential despair, he is confronted by Death, who has come to claim him. Desperate to cling to life and find meaning before his time runs out, the knight challenges Death to a game of chess. The game provides a respite from his inevitable fate, and while it continues, the knight is determined to perform one meaningful act.

On his journey, the knight and his squire encounter a group of traveling actors, along with various other individuals dealing with the pervasive atmosphere of doom in their own ways. Through these meetings, the film explores themes of life, death, faith, and the search for redemption. Each character embodies different attitudes toward the dire circumstances they face, ranging from existential dread to naive obliviousness, and their interactions with the knight reflect the vast spectrum of human response to the inevitability of death and the silence of God.