Italy, the twenties of the XX century.

Three days in the life of five people: a middle-aged lady, Mariagration, the mistress of the declining villa, her children, Michele and Carla, Leo, a long-time lover of Mariagration, Lisa, her friend. Conversations, dates, thoughts ...

Of all five, one Leo is satisfied with his life and says that if he were born again, he would like to be "exactly the same and bear the same name - Leo Merumechi." Leo is alien to repentance, longing, remorse, dissatisfaction with himself. His only desire is to enjoy life. Carla's youth excites unbridled lust in him, which he, without hesitation, is ready to satisfy almost in front of the former mistress in her own house. Here, True, he is not lucky: trying to whip up Carla’s sensuality and give her courage, he so eagerly pumps it with champagne that at the decisive moment the poor thing simply begins to feel sick. And he immediately rushes to Lisa, another former mistress, and when she rejects his harassment, she tries to seize her power. This smug nonsense, strewing with flat witticisms and teachings, almost despises Mariagration, even to Karla, whom she insistently seduces, feels neither love nor tenderness. To top it all, Leo Merumechi is unclean - he conducts the affairs of Mariagration and without a twinge of conscience robs her family.

Mariagraction is weary of jealousy, she feels that Leo has not had the same feelings for her for a long time, but does not see the true reason for cooling - his passion for Carla. In her life there is nothing but a relationship with her lover - no interests, no duties. She constantly arranges stupid scenes of jealousy, not embarrassed by children who had long been aware that Leo was more than a friend at home. The most amazing thing about this woman is her absolute blindness. She as if refuses to perceive reality, does not see that the children have become strangers, closes her eyes to the rudeness and cruelty of Leo, still manages to consider herself a seductive beauty, and Leo "the kindest person in the world." Her jealousy is directed at Lisa, and no assurances from her friend can convince her of anything. And yet, in the wretched emotional world of Mariagration, in the tasteless combination of stupidity and sentimentality, there is a place of spontaneity and impetuosity, and her “flabby, trusting heart” is capable of some semblance of love and suffering.

Carla is weighed down by the senselessness of existence and would like to “change her life at any cost”, even at the cost of connection with her mother’s lover, who, in essence, is indifferent to her and is even sometimes disgusting. Unlike her mother, she does not have any illusions about Leo, but life in her parents' house, where “habit and boredom are always in ambush,” depresses her. She suffers from the fact that she sees the same thing every day and nothing changes in life. Mother and brother are also indifferent to her - the only time that mother tries to seek comfort from her, Carla is only embarrassed. True, she is inherent in some spiritual doubts about a possible connection with Leo, but not because she takes away her favorite toy from her mother, but because of her own indecision and lack of will. But she doesn’t know another way of “starting a new life”, just as she doesn’t know what this life should be like. Enthusiastic visions arise in Carla’s head, because Leo can give her a lot: a car, jewelry, travels, and yet this is not the reason for her decision to surrender to him. In reality, she simply succumbs to his pressure. But in her soul there is a vague need for love, and when, during the first meeting with Leo, a misunderstanding arises in his house related to a note by Leo, Carla unwittingly presents him with a story about a fictional lover who alone loves and understands her. And the date itself gives rise to dual feelings in the girl: natural sensuality takes its toll, but Carla does not receive either tenderness or comfort from her lover. After a nightly fit of confusion and self-pity, morning comes, fears disappear, soberly assessing what has happened, Carla with some disappointment understands what her new life will really be like. But the road has been paved, Carla does not want to "delve into her and other people's feelings" and accepts Leo's forced proposal to marry him, without telling her mother about anything.

Only Michele clearly realizes that the life that everyone around him lives is a lie, a “shameful comedy”. He always thinks that this world belongs to such as his mother and Lisa, with their ridiculous claims, and even self-confident villains like Leo. This young man, on whom time has left an indelible imprint, is unhappy and lonely even more than others, because he is aware of his inferiority. His feelings and thoughts change seven times a day - it seems to him that he is striving for a different, honest and clean life, he is hungry for worldly goods and loses his imagination when he sells his sister Leo (not knowing that Carla has already become his mistress). Prone to introspection, Michele knows that he is vicious and that his main vice is indifference, lack of sincere feelings. People are disgusted with him, but even he envies them, because they live a real life, experience real feelings. This is love, hate, anger, pity; Of course, he knows such feelings, but he is not capable of experiencing them. He understands that he should have hated Leo, loved Lisa (who suddenly came up with the sugary-sentimental idea of ​​love for a clean young man), "to feel disgust and compassion for his mother and tenderness for Karla", but remains indifferent, despite all his efforts "To ignite." Any act of Michele is dictated not by impulse, direct feeling, but by a speculative idea of ​​how another, more sincere, full-fledged person would have acted in his place. That is why his actions are so ridiculous that he becomes funny. Portraying indignation, he throws an ashtray at Leo, but does it so languidly that he falls into his mother’s shoulder, after which another farcical scene breaks out. He is not at all in love with the overripe Lisa, but for some reason he is going to date her. On this date, Lisa tells him the news, which should have broken through the armor of his indifference, about Leo’s relationship with Carla. And again, no anger, no disgust. Even this blow does not take him out of his mental stupor. And then Michele, mainly just to convince Lisa, who does not believe the ill-played scene of the anger of the insulted brother, buys a gun, goes to Leo (on the road, imagining a rather romantic picture of the trial and at the same time hoping that Leo will not be at home ) and shoots him, forgetting, however, to load the gun. Enraged, Leo nearly pushes him in the most humiliating way, but Karl appears from the bedroom. For the first time in his life, brother and sister speak as close people, and Leo, for whom their intention to sell the villa in order to start a new life, means a disaster, you have to make an offer to Karl. Michele asks her sister to reject Leo, because this marriage would mean the embodiment of his shameful dreams of selling her sister, but she understands that she lost too: Carla believes that this is the best she can count on. Before Michele, there is one way that Mariagracia, Lisa, Leo, Carla and most of the people who surround him follow - the path of lies, unbelief and indifference.