During WWII, young German boys of privilege or exceptional ability come to special academies to be trained as future leaders in the Nazi party. In one such Napola, Friedrich, a working-class 17 year old with exceptional boxing prowess, becomes friends with Albrecht, the Governor's son, a sensitive young writer opposed to Nazi ideology and the war. Before long, Friedrich must choose between his own bright future in the Third Reich and Albrecht's moral imperative.