The film is set in the late 50s and 60s. Pietro and Giovanni are two brothers from Sicily. One's already stranded in Torino, the other follows. The older one, Giovanni, works so that much-admired Pietro can go to school. But something doesn't work: Pietro's busy cutting school, he's one of the worst pupils in his class -- probably even the worst. Meanwhile Giovanni's working his a-- off, all for his little brother.
The two brothers lose sight of each other after some time. Pietro recites poetry thanks to a private teacher of his, but the meaning of the poetry is still hidden to him. Giovanni, on the other hand, is now the boss of a cooperative. We don't get to know much about what he's actually doing. He kills someone. In the half-criminal underground in which the despised Southern Italians in the 50s and 60s are working, the stronger survives. Before that, the two brothers met again. Pietro follows his brother and is witnesses the murder.
Giovanni in the end even gets to marry a Northern Italian woman, while Pietro sacrifices himself for his brother: he has to go to prison for a murder that not he, but his brother committed. The topics of this film, namely racism and exploitation, are still topical.
The two brothers lose sight of each other after some time. Pietro recites poetry thanks to a private teacher of his, but the meaning of the poetry is still hidden to him. Giovanni, on the other hand, is now the boss of a cooperative. We don't get to know much about what he's actually doing. He kills someone. In the half-criminal underground in which the despised Southern Italians in the 50s and 60s are working, the stronger survives. Before that, the two brothers met again. Pietro follows his brother and is witnesses the murder.
Giovanni in the end even gets to marry a Northern Italian woman, while Pietro sacrifices himself for his brother: he has to go to prison for a murder that not he, but his brother committed. The topics of this film, namely racism and exploitation, are still topical.