Thomas (Ernst Hannawald), the cherubic son of a prison warden, secretly seduces Martin (Jurgen Prochnow), one of his father's inmates. After Martin is released, the two try to build a life together, but they are thwart...展开ed at every turn. Thomas's father sends Thomas to a boy's reformatory, where--in an amazing scene--Martin arrives disguised as a new teacher . . .
The Consequence describes the persistence of pure love and the intolerance of a repressive society. Seen today, it still contains many surprises, and its sympathy with the gay lovers is refreshingly loyal. Bizarrely enough, The Consequence was directed by Wolfgang Petersen, whose later credits include The Boat (Prochnow starred as the Captain), The Neverending Story, and In the Line of Fire.