In a small town in Eastern Europe, the inhabitants are anxious about the arrival of a general inspector who, it is rumored, is coming to review the local administration, plagued by corruption and abuse of power. However, surprise takes hold of the place when an ordinary man, a traveler who passes himself off as the inspector, enters the scene. This character, scruffy and clumsy, is nothing more and nothing less than a wayward artist who falls like a duck in the middle of a frozen lake.
The town officials, fearful of being exposed, begin to make exaggerated efforts to please him and avoid his wrath. With absurd humor and comedic situations at every turn, the faux inspector begins to take advantage of the confusion, enjoying lavish meals and the preferential treatment bestowed upon him. Meanwhile, true chaos erupts as the officials start to betray one another, revealing all the hypocrisy that reigns in the place.
As the plot unfolds, the "inspector" becomes a catalyst that exposes the greed and insecurities of those around him, generating both laughter and reflections on human morality. The conclusion is unexpected, leading the audience to a humorous and enlightening endpoint about the nature of power and corruption. All of this is wrapped in a brilliant sense of humor that makes this story a classic gem of cinema.