Tristana's (Catherine Deneuve Catherine Deneuve) mother entrusts her to Don Lupu (Fernando Rey) to take care of her before she dies. The aging Lupu has no worries about food and clothing, and has a strong personality and values honor, but at the same time, he is also a womanizer known to the women in the town. Lupu is ostensibly the guardian of Tristana, but he actually has a hidden strong desire for the latter.
Tristana felt depressed at Lupu's house, and the maid and the maid's deaf-mute son were far from a friend she could talk to. During an outing, Taristana met a young painter who gave her hope of love. The painter who knew about Tristana's situation beat up Lupu, and the two left the town together. Soon, Tristana fell seriously ill, and the painter had no choice but to seek Lupu's help.
