Maria Terranova

In Sicily, in a time not yet forgotten, in the heart of a small secluded town populated by cicadas, ticks and venomous snakes, that which made a man a real man was not riches or power, but his honor. He had to defend his dignity against insults and village gossip. It took little to stoke the fire once lit, and no one was immune. One of the worst humiliations a man can suffer was to have an adulterous wife. A man so disgraced would bear the mark of shame, with all eyes of the community upon him. It was said that "his horns were sticking out" for all to see.

第2次世界大戦中のイタリア。シチリア島の漁村で暮らす12歳の少年レナートは、美しい年上の女性マレーナに魅せられる。彼女は結婚して2週間で戦地に送られた夫の帰りを待ち続け、レナートはそんな彼女の姿を見守っては想いを募らせていた。戦局の移り変わりで島はナチス、次いで米軍の支配下となり、戦争未亡人となったマレーナは自分を庇護してくれる愛人の間を渡り歩く。だがそんな彼女の行動は島の人々の反感を買う。