During the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, a Polish youth falls in love with a German soldier. More than a half century later, a college student comes out during Gay Pride Week in a Midwest town. How High the Moon weaves these stories into a universal story of love and betrayal.

Mariusz turns to hustling to provide for his family and meets Lieutenant Stammler. They fall in love even as the dangers mount for homosexuals. In a round-up of suspected homosexuals, they must betray each other to save their own lives. Decades later, Matthew has a beer at the bar where his friend Darla works. He meets her boyfriend, Rory, and Rory's best friend, and the three men leave together. Matthew, half-expecting a sexual encounter, instead becomes the victim of their brutal friendship.