A long time ago, during a period of moral crisis in the society, a loving couple was
being pursued by their cruel ruler for disobeying the village's laws.
The terrified young couple seeks shelter in the basement of a wooden building.
As footsteps draw near, the man desperately seizes an axe, but his resistance proves futile
as a ruthless group of men brutally assaults him, forcibly taking the couple away from
the basement.
The woman gazes upon her fallen protector, her anguished screams echoing through the
air as they cruelly drag away his injured body.
The man is taken captive, subjected to cruel treatment, and finally sacrificed to the birds
by being crucified high above the valley.
Meanwhile, the woman who is forced to satisfy the ruler's lust escapes, while still carrying
an unborn child with her.
She swears in the name of her husband that the ruler and his men will pay for what they
did to them.
The story then shifts to sometime later, when a young stranger arrives on horseback at a
secluded village in the Austrian Alps.
As the man enters the village, curious residents gather around, eager to discover his purpose.
The entire town is firmly under the dominion of an aged rich man named Old Brenner, and
his six power-drunk sons, Hans, Hubert, Otto, Luis, Edi, and Rudolf.
When one of the sons, Hans, inquires about the traveller's intentions, the man introduces
himself as Greider, a photographer, and expresses his desire to spend the winter in their village.
With a stern face and firm demeanour, Greider tosses them a bag filled with coins as payment
for his stay.
To see if Greider is really a photographer, the brothers test Greider's photographic abilities,
and since cameras were rare at the time, everyone gathered to watch the process.
The brothers then show the results to their father, Mister Brenner, and delighted by the
payment, Mister Brenner gladly approves Greider's stay.
Following the approval, Greider is escorted to the residence of a widow, Gaderin, where
he will be lodging as her tenant for the winter.
During this time, Greider first witnesses the ruthless nature of the Brenner brothers
towards the villagers when Luzi, the daughter of Widow Gaderin, is forcefully grabbed by
her neck like a wild animal.
Upon settling in and unpacking his belongings, Greider proceeds to the stable, where he discreetly
conceals a bag, making us wonder what else he's got up his sleeve.
During a conversation at the dining table, it is revealed that Greider is an American
who has fluency in German due to his mother, and he has arrived in the village to capture
wintry scenes for his photography album.
When Greider inquires about the men he encountered earlier, Gaderin discloses that they are Mr
Brenner's sons, who have control over the entire village, and their unjust treatment
weighs heavily upon its people.
Later that night, Greider looks at someone's photo while showing a look of sadness on his face.
Then, as Greider is getting ready for bed, he witnesses Luzi secretly entering the stable.
Waiting for her, there is a young man named Lukas.
It becomes apparent that they are engaged and soon to be married.
However, an unsettling fear stays within them, casting a shadow of uncertainty over their future.
The next day, Luzi, who has never seen a camera in her life, is shown a collection of Greider’s
photographs, including one of him and his mother.
When questioned about his father’s photograph, Greider reveals that his father passed away
many years ago.
Greider expresses his willingness to assist the women with their chores, and he helps
them cut wood for the fire.
Afterwards, Luzi heads to the village to purchase groceries and Greider decides to accompany her.
As Luzi does her shopping, Greider requests nails and coffee from the shop owner, Wirtin
and her husband.
It's not clear what he plans to do with the nails, and while the're shopping, they encounter
Brenner's sons.
Upon seeing Luzi, Otto Brenner attempts to approach her, and subsequently offers Greider
some alcohol.
But when Greider politely states that he doesn't drink,
Given the Brenner brothers' dominance over the village, no one dares to take action against
their misconduct.
Aware of the impending snowfall, Luzi urges Greider to depart from the village before
he falls victim to the brutality of the Brenners.
Yet, Greider remains silent, resolved to stay in the village regardless of the circumstances.
Over the next few days, he explores the entire valley with his camera, capturing its essence.
With a serious expression etched on his face, Greider visits various locations, including
the colossal crucifix situated in the center of the valley.
When he goes to church, he just stares at the priest who's standing in the distance.
Upon returning home, Greider receives news of Luzi's upcoming wedding, and is asked to
provide a wedding gift: a photograph capturing Luzi and Lukas together before the ceremony.
Although the request strikes him as somewhat peculiar, Greider respects Luzi's wish, and
captures the couple's image against the backdrop of the first snowfall of the winter.
Unlike today, the old camera required some time to take just one picture, and the subjects
had to be perfectly still throughout the process for a better quality.
With the arrival of the first snow, the logging operation in the forest begins—a dangerous
task involving all the men of the village, including Mr Brenner's sons.
One group releases the wood logs down a slide while the other group waits below to receive
and load them.
Everything goes perfectly when the wooden logs slide down the slope, but then a tragedy
occurs when one of the logs fails to reach the bottom, leading Edi Brenner to look into
what happened.
Unfortunately, as the brothers wait for updates later, the wooden log finally makes its way
down, but now it's carrying Edi with it, who dies in a tragic way.
The tolling of the village bell signals the mournful news, and the entire community, including
the stoic old Brenner, gathers to grieve.
Not a single tear is shed by the elder Brenner, presumably due to his merciless nature resulting
from years of injustice and inequality.
As Edi's body is taken home, Greider is observed on his horse by Luzi, silently watching the
people from a distance.
The next day, preparations for Luzi's wedding continue, but there is a sense of unhappiness
among both families.
Gaderin shows Lukas' parents the picture of Luzi and Lukas, hoping to call off the ceremony,
but the parish priest has confirmed that the wedding will proceed as instructed by Mr Brenner.
Upon hearing this news, Luzi becomes overwhelmed with emotions, and implores Lukas to run away
with her, but Lukas realizes that leaving their old parents behind is not a viable option.
Getting married in the village seems like a scary thing to do, and Luzi urges her fiance to do something.
After observing the conversation between Luzi and Lukas, Greider returns to his bed and
takes out a locket from his pocket, deep-seated anger etched across his face.
The following day, Rudolph Brenner sets out for his customary hunting expedition, a yearly
tradition that takes place after the first snowfall.
However, his hunt is abruptly interrupted when he hears a noise that scares the deer away.
Rudolph slowly gets up to see what's making the noise.
And then this happens…
a wooden rod covered with nails strikes him in the face and causes severe damage to his
eyes, resulting in a fatal fall that claims his life.
Growing anxious about the absence of Rudolph, old Brenner dispatches his remaining sons
to search for him on the third day.
Meanwhile, Greider is seen preparing to depart, gathering his belongings with the intention
of leaving the house.
As he retrieves his bag from the stable, it becomes apparent that he possesses a gun—a
revelation that raises concerns for Luzi, as only the Brenners are permitted to own weapons.
When Luzi questions him, Greider responds that the Brenners will come looking for him,
so he packs up his things and leaves the house.
Following the discovery of Rudolph's body by the Brenner brothers, the village bell
tolls once more to announce the mournful news.
Mr. Brenner has to see his son die again, and this time we can see that the priest is
there too.
However, suspicions of foul play arise when old Brenner finds a nail lodged in his son's eye.
The revelation prompts the brothers to visit Luzi's home, but Greider, who recently purchased
nails from the inn, is nowhere to be found.
The continuous snowfall throughout the night conceals any traces of his movements.
Despite the unsettling circumstances, Mr Brenner insists on proceeding with the wedding.
The villagers make their way to the church, unaware of Greider's presence, he lies in
wait within a mountain shelter, armed with a gun.
Here it turns out that the unsettling and peculiar behaviour surrounding the wedding
preparations is because of a tragic event associated with it.
It is revealed that the Brenner family follows the medieval practice of Primae Noctis, which
grants the rulers the right to deflower the bride, specifically on the wedding nights
of the women.
Sadly, the local priest still supports what the Brenners do.
After the wedding ceremony concludes and the villagers return to the village to celebrate,
Greider seizes the opportunity to confront the priest directly.
With his rifle in hand, he enters the church, asking for a confession time from the priest.
In the confession box, Greider openly confesses to the murder of the two Brenner brothers.
He proceeds to reveal a locket containing a picture of a woman, showing it to the priest.
The sight of the woman's image triggers a flood of memories for the priest, harkening
back to an event that occurred over two decades ago—a moment in which he chose to align
himself with evil and remained silent.
Before all of this happened, it is revealed that Greider's mother, Maria, had arrived
in Brenner's valley with her parents during a time of famine.
Desperate for food and shelter, they made a difficult decision and agreed to Mr Brenner's
sinister proposition.
The parents were informed about what awaited the girls in the valley, and despite their
concerns, they felt compelled to stay due to the overwhelming hunger.
When the fateful day arrived, Mr Brenner claimed his promise and took Maria, the woman from
the movie's first scene, with him before her wedding night, deflowering her.
However, Maria's husband, Franz, came to her rescue that night.
They fled through a window and sought refuge with innkeepers, paying them for their secrecy.
Unfortunately, the innkeepers, driven by greed and malice, betrayed their trust and revealed
their location to Brenner and his men in exchange for more money.
The consequences were severe and public, serving as a warning to all who dared to defy Brenner's authority.
Franz was ruthlessly nailed to a giant crucifix, however, in a brief moment of distraction,
Maria seized the opportunity and kicked the horse, causing Brenner to fall from his mount.
This allowed Maria to escape the clutches of her tormentor and flee the valley, finding
refuge in America.
Tragically, Maria's parents faced the full weight of Brenner's wrath, while Franz was
hanged until nothing remained of him.
Here the priest faces the grim truth that his support for medieval customs will cost
him his life, as this man is bringing his mother's retaliation to make them pay for
what they did.
Amidst Luzi's ongoing wedding festivities, only the Brenners seem to celebrate.
Despite Lukas's presence, it is the Brenners who share the dance floor with the bride.
Lukas tries to defend his beloved, but instead ends up getting beaten by one of the brothers.
Lukas is unable to prevent her departure with the Brenners,
and while the brothers escort Luzi back home, they encounter a menacing Greider, who
is armed and demands Luzi's freedom.
Facing the barrel of a gun pointed at Hans, the brothers reluctantly surrender to Greider's
will, as they don't expect anyone in the village to own a gun.
Following his instructions, Luzi is able to free herself from their grasp and return to
Lukas's arms.
Greider then challenges the Brenners to a duel at their farm on the next day, his current
place of refuge after Rudolph's demise.
Afterwards, Greider escorts Luzi to her home and relocates the family to Lukas's residence
for their safety.
While Lukas expresses boundless gratitude for the return of his bride, his mother remains
worried, fearing the impending retribution of the Brenner brothers.
Greider then calms them down, saying that he's the one who will face them in his upcoming
duel with the brothers, and departs from the house.
He proceeds to make his way to the innkeeper's residence to exact revenge.
Learning that the couple had accepted money from Mr. Brenner in exchange for disclosing
his mother's whereabouts, he holds the husband at gunpoint, and throws a bag of coins at
the woman, forcing the woman to ingest the coins.
After a brief torment session, he returns to the mountain cabin, anticipating the upcoming
duel.
The following day, the Brenner brothers disregard the designated time and start the fight before dawn.
They launch a vicious assault on the cabin, aiming to eliminate Greider on the spot.
Taking refuge in the basement, Greider miraculously survives the relentless barrage of bullets,
and manages to kill Luis Brenner.
A fierce shootout erupts, and Greider has a hard time against the other three.
Armed with a Winchester lever-action repeating rifle, he uses that to his advantage, while
the Brenner brothers use side-by-side and breechloading rifles, which they don't know
how to use as well.
Utilizing his skill and the repeating rifle, he deftly eliminates or incapacitates the
remaining four brothers.
With a vengeance achieved, he sets out to deliver the news of their demise to their
father, only to discover that some townspeople still hold loyalty towards Brenner senior.
As Greider advances toward Brenner's residence, he is ambushed by the blacksmith wielding
an iron log hook.
Just as the blacksmith lunges at Greider, Lukas intervenes and shoots the attacker,
sparing Greider from harm.
Although he has managed to survive, he still gets a shoulder wound caused by the hook.
Fueled by determination, he storms into Old Brenner's house, and discovers him lying in bed.
As he tosses over his locket to Brenner, Brenner realizes who he is dealing with.
He then realizes that Greider is none other than Maria's son, the only woman in the town
who dared to go against the law 20 years ago.
When inquired about the Brenner brothers, Greider responds that they are all dead.
This is when old Brenner utters that Greider has killed his half-brothers.
It is then revealed that Old Brenner is his biological father, a result of his mother's
tragic experience of being sexually assaulted by Brenner on her wedding night.
With a heavy heart, Brenner requests a swift end, and Greider grants his wish by delivering
a fatal shot to his heart.
After killing his own father, Greider seeks refuge at Luzi's house, where his wounds are
tended to.
It took him three weeks to fully recover because of the cold weather, but he eventually manages
to recover before the arrival of spring.
Meanwhile, the various families that live in the valley ask to punish Greider as many
have relatives to Old Brenner due to his ways.
With the arrival of spring, Greider departs from the village in the same manner he had
arrived.
Casting one final glance at Luzi and her family, he knows he will never set foot there again.
The death of the cruel leader and his sons will likely improve life in the village, indicating
that Greider's vengeance is not just for his mother, but for all the villagers in the dark valley,
which will no longer be shrouded in darkness.