When a striking young stranger (Terence Stamp) arrives at a household and sets about seducing each family member, he leaves behind an inescapable void of confusion that leads them on an odyssey of self-discovery and departure from the norm. Patriarch of the family, Paolo (Massimo Girotti) is compelled to relinquish his factory to the workers, matriarch Lucia (Silvana Mangano) departs on a series of casual sexual encounters, Pietro loses interest in his artistic pursuits and Odetta falls into a stake of catatonia. Emilia (Laura Betti) the servant, becomes the last vestige of hope.