1914年,第一次世界大战爆发,1917年,法、国,意和其他欧洲国家相续结成联盟,决心一并抗击德国。很多胸怀远大志向的热血青年志愿加入了这场空前绝后的欧洲大陆的战争,并且希望通过自己的微薄努力结束战争,让大家重新过上安详平静的生活。
失去家族牧场的布雷恩(詹姆斯·弗兰科 James Franco 饰)、为了光复家族荣耀的威廉,想穿越大西洋旅行的布里格斯,因种族原因被逐出美国的黑人拳击手等三十八个年轻人为了一个共同的目标加入了海外作战空军部队。他们在在法国将军赛诺特(让·雷诺 Jean Reno 饰)和美国士兵瑞德·卡西迪(马丁·亨德森 Martin Henderson 饰)的辅助和领导下,每个人都真正了解到为荣誉和和平而战的意义,所有人组成了“拉斐特飞行小队”。可战争的残酷和现实大大超过了这群热血青年的想象,死亡每天都在靠近,危险处处不在.........
May 1945: the end of the Second World War in the Tyrolean Alps. SS man Anton has deserted and been shot. On the run from his unit, he swaps his SS uniform for that of a dead Wehrmacht soldier and discovers a lonely mountain hut. Hannah, a Jewish woman, is hiding here. She takes Anton in and tends to his wounds.
But there is great mistrust between the two. Together they cope with the harsh everyday life in the remote hut. They are looked after by 16-year-old peasant girl Charlotte, whose family pays Hannah not to betray them. And at night, they hear fighting between the German troops and Italian partisans. Over time, a cautious familiarity develops between Anton and Hannah - he, who has done terrible things in the war, she, who has lost her family and has been struggling with fear and loneliness up here in the mountains for months. They grow closer. Hannah finds out that Anton was no ordinary soldier. He was in the SS, a man of conviction, at least at first. Brutal truths come to light. The war is as good as over, but what kind of future awaits them?
Georg turns up at the hut: He's been looking for Anton, hunting him down. He was the one who shot Anton - his best friend. Georg is fighting a battle that has long been hopeless, driven by hatred and the will to destroy. And he also wants to kill Hannah. High in the mountains, the decision is made.
The Deserter is a story about war and guilt, but also about helpfulness and humanity.