A retired professor and art lover leads a solitary life in his abode in Rome. Countess Bianca Brumonti insists on renting a floor of his mansion. He agrees in exchange for a unique painting that he wants for his collection. The arrival of the countess’ eccentric family turns his quiet life upside down. Silvana Mangano and Helmut Berger star alongside Burt Lancaster in the roles of Bianca and her young lover – central characters in this family possessing rather unusual moral values. In the film, the professor succumbs to the charms of Konrad Huebel, despite his vulgar nature. A strange relationship – based on desire and domination – comes to exist between them. For some, this fictitious couple is a metaphor for the relationship that was formed between Luchino Visconti and Helmut Berger.