Based on the story by Beppe Fenoglio.

Set in war-torn Italy, 1944, the story is about lost love and fragile friendships.

Milton, a student, (Rupert Graves) joins the partisans, under the watchful eye of leader Ferdi (Rodolfo Corsato).
Shortly after joining, they are attacked by The San Marco Column, a group of Nazi fascists. During the attack, Milton's life is saved by fellow partisan Giorgio (Claudio Mazzenga), and an obvious and instant friendship is created.

However, bad news is just around the corner. The leader, Ferdi is caught, and Milton, looking through binoculars at a safe distance, sees his first true horror of war, as Ferdi is hooked through the throat and lef swinging in the breeze.

The story then unfolds at a strange pace, as Milton tries to find his lost love, Fulvia, played by French actress Celine Beauvallet. Whilst looking for her, he is told that his close friend Giorgio has had "intimate relations" with her. (Rupert Graves fans will note this coincidence, as he later in his career stars in a film with Julie Walters by the same name.)

Though not having any proof of this allegation, (the film gives none either) Milton then tries to locate Giorgio and find out the truth. You just know the end will be tragic, and sure enough it is.
A strange film by all accounts - you are left wondering at the end just what it's all about, but mesmerised too, much of this down to the sometimes haunting score from Nicola Piovani.

The film is subtitled, but all the same, the lip-sync for Rupert Graves (voiced by Riccardo Rossi) is at times hard to comprehend.
Barry Richardson.