Stylish drama about a housewife trying to break free from her husband’s tyranny in 1946 Rome. It was a huge hit in Italian cinemas and sparked a national debate about the culture of machismo.

Delia and Ivano live in Rome with their children and Ivano’s ailing father. The caring Delia resigns herself to her traditional role of wife and mother who has to make ends meet. Ivano, the pater familias, misses no opportunity to point out to Delia that he takes care of the income and mistreats his wife. He only shows respect for his manipulative father. One bright spot in Delia’s life is her daughter Marcella’s engagement to a middle-class boy. Delia sees this as a chance for Marcella to escape the same fate and have a better life. But everything changes when Delia receives a mysterious letter.