The vibrant Yugoslav actress Ita Rina plays a popular young prostitute, Tonka, at one time a country innocent, now struggling to survive in the city. At the request of the authorities she "volunteers" for a night with a condemned prisoner. This fateful, transforming encounter-expressionistically filmed-condemns her to notoriety as an angel of death. Adapted from the novel by the Prague journalist Egon Erwin Kisch-in turn based on a newspaper report-this moving film was widely acclaimed internationally. It was the first Czech talking picture, with several sound sequences made in Paris. Strong supporting performances are by Czech actor-director Josef Rovensky and the great Russian actress Vera Baranovskaia.