In 1917, the Great War is in full swing. Young Randall is a second lieutenant, and is lucky enough to escape some of the consequences of the conflict by contributing to the invention of a flare, which will be of benefit to the allies.
He falls in love with a woman a few years his senior, and with the imminence of death ever in a young man's mind, he hastily marries her. Whilst the flare is a success, his marriage is not. Deceit and adultery come into play, as a consequence of which,
Randall is brought to trial for murder.
He is completely disorientated by the turn of events. When asked by Counsel if he actually intended to kill his victim, Randall replies: "no....not particularly."