The titular clock in this Swedish drama keeps time throughout the life of young Lennart Heijken (Lauritz Falk). Upon reaching maturity, Lennart's plans for a cushy military career and a blissful marriage are dashed when his parents are killed in a train accident. Forced to take over the management of the family farm, Lennart proves to be an ineffectual administrator, while his wife Viveka (Vibeke Falk) reveals herself as a selfish spendthrift. One mishap dovetails into the next, leaving Lennart a bitter, disillusioned shell of a man. Symbolically, the most disastrous moments in Lennart's life are heralded whenever the normally reliable Clock of Ronneberga mis-chimes.