Three inmates of a prison escape and seize the archaeological museum of a provincial town shortly before its official inauguration, threatening to destroy the statues if their demands are not met. The museum is surrounded by the police, and a violent end seems inevitable. Only the curator of the museum shares the anguish of the fugitive convicts (and is also naturally concerned about the fate of the statues). The townspeople, however, are completely oblivious and indifferent to the events taking place.