Title and credits over shot of Eros statue. (soundtrack: man sings 'My Baby...'). Quick pan to pavement where a girl runs across road to camera and embraces waiting man. Pavement crowds, including a family with children. Shot from vehicle circling Eros of crowds sitting on steps. Couples and groups, some plainly dressed, some women in furs. Close-ups of intertwined hands. Couple examine menu. Showgirls poster. Two little girls (not in same shot) look at it and are pulled away. Medium close-up of Jonathan Miller with girl and manfriend who pass smiling and talking. Window displaying lifesize bodybuilder cutout plus lots of star photos. Cinema-related shots (soundtrack of commissionaire calling out prices, then film soundtrack music, dialogue) including News Theatre (i.e. cinema) with cinemascope; queues; stills; crowds; posters; 'Christ Jesus came to save' sandwichman; black man and blonde, commissionaire counts the queue in and halts the rest; woman pavement singer (not on soundtrack); close-ups of money being exchanged for cinema tickets.
Disfigured newspaper vendor (soundtrack: sad Irish violin tune). People handling paper 'snakes'; long balloon vendor. Girl listens to violinist (not on soundtrack) in front of revolving nyloned legs window display. Hot dog stall. Fruit stall with huge bunch of bananas and two black male customers. Pinups on stall. US serviceman. (soundtrack 'I don't want your greenback dollar... take me back again') Prostitutes mingle with men. Medium close-ups and close-ups of Eros crowds sitting on steps including two women who have taken off their shoes. Amusement arcade with pinball machines, rifle range, jukebox, look-at-nudes machine. Another shot of seated crowd from vehicle circling Eros. Large illuminated adverts including Wrigleys, the Guinness seals, Coca-Cola, Eveready batteries. (soundtrack 'God Save the Queen'). Crowds leave the Criterion theatre. Pavement very crowded. 'Flee From the Wrath to Come' sandwichman. Man tips hat off gent entering restaurant. Three US sailors. Two policemen escort man away. Policeman directs cars. Crowd descends tube stair. Fruit stall ("Jaffa oranges') is wheeled away.
Crowds thinner. Two UK sailors. Only one man on Eros steps. Girl jiggles breasts. Men in twos and threes survey the women. One of two prostitutes solicits a man. Hot dog stand is wheeled away. Deserted pavement. Coca-Cola sign is now unlit. (soundtrack: Nancy Whiskey sings sad Irish song). Closed restaurant fronts. Solitary prostitute paces the pavement, Criterion closed. Pan up from solitary man on Eros steps to statue (as in opening shot).
Throughout the film, people stand alone, in twos and threes, and watch the crowds, look at the illuminated signs, look in windows. Or stroll, mostly aimlessly. Mostly filmed in medium close-up. Only three children and three black men (no women) in the film. All shots of adverts, posters and pinups are followed by medium close-ups of people looking at them. Only one person looks directly at camera.
