A government agent is returning from France with secret blueprints that were stolen from his government. On the train ride home, thieves break into his compartment and murder him.

In this modest drama, set during World War II, two rival boat families battle it out for supremacy.

19世纪末20世纪初，俄国资本主义迅速发展，贵族庄园逐渐崩溃。
天蒙蒙亮，柳苞芙带着她的小女儿还有仆人，从巴黎回到了俄罗斯。柳苞芙的樱桃园即将被拍卖抵债，她必须回来看看，想想办法，如何保住她心爱的庄园。
虽然樱桃园拍卖在即，但庄园里的人还是整天悠闲自在地消磨时光，他们更多的在幻想而非身体力行。庄园早已资不抵债，却要给一张书柜开个纪念晚会，柳苞芙早已囊中羞涩，却要在乞丐面前装阔气，女仆幻想着自己是位小姐，白发的先生依然把自己当成一名在校大学生……
远处传来空空的砍树声、天边外神秘的弦裂声，在众人的幻想中，樱桃园被拍卖了，而它的新主人竟然是……