The film shows how Italy's historic national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi (embodied by Renzo Ricci) leads a military campaign known as Expedition of the Thousand in 1860 and conquers Sicily and Naples. When the Bourbon monarchy has left Southern Italy, he supports Victor Emmanuel II of Italy who achieves a lasting unification under the aegis the House of Savoy. Roberto Rossellini stated he was very more proud of this film than of any other film he ever made.
本片由几个初看起来并无关系的线索汇聚而成:一个律师本应为因组织罢工而被捕的团结工会积极分子辩护,不幸于出庭前死去,案件交由一个老律师处理。老律师热衷与人争论道德的可疑性问题。那个积极分子在各方面的重重压力下死去。同时,那个已故律师的妻子感到青春的虚空,沉溺于同其他男人的爱欲之中,但肉体的满足并不能代替精神的寂寞,最后在绝望中,她拧开煤气自杀。