Raphaël, a young engineer, returns to his native village at the bedside of his grandmother Isabelle, who seems to be dying. It soon turns out she is in fine health and that the illness was a ruse to bring her grandson back. She wants him to marry Evelyne, a wealthy heiress. Raphaël agrees to court her, but he is far more drawn to Lucie, a childhood friend with a seductive charm.

How it was made

Directed by Dino Risi, the film adapts the novel of the same name by Pasquale Festa Campanile, and was produced by Silvio Clementelli for Titanus. The screenplay was written by Risi with Massimo Franciosa, Ettore Giannini and Festa Campanile himself. Tonino Delli Colli shot the picture, Mario Serandrei edited it and Michele Cozzoli composed the score. The cast includes Sylva Koscina, Peppino De Filippo, Renato Rascel, Renato Salvatori and Paolo Stoppa.

Reception and legacy

After screening at the San Sebastián festival, where it won the Golden Shell for best film, the Italian magazine Cinema Nuovo ran an anonymous review. It praised the first half for its clever ideas but criticized a reliance on commonplaces and a rather heavy touch. Renato Rascel's performance as a village priest suffered from the same problem, while the photography earned good marks. The film was followed by La nipote Sabella.