american expatriates journalist jake barnes (hart bochner), war veteran bill gorton (željko ivanek), and novelist/boxer robert cohn (robert carradine), take advantage of the paris night life. barnes meets former paramour lady brett ashley (jane seymour) who is about to divorce her husband to marry scotsman mike campbell (ian charleson). barnes' attraction to ashley causes him to follow her movements and gorton and cohn follow as cohn becomes enamored as well. ashley expresses continuing interest in open relations. the group ventures to see bullfighting in pamplona, spain, where ashley develops an appetite for matador pedro romero (andrea occhipinti). cohn pummels romero upon discovering her latest conquest although it does not impress ashley. a bruised romero enters the bullring as the curtains come down.