: The plot hinges on a sexual double standard. While Tullio expects total freedom for his own infidelities, he is consumed by jealousy and madness upon discovering that Giuliana has also taken a lover.
: Directed while Visconti was in failing health, the film is considered a lavish, visually stunning capstone to his career. L'Innocente
The story is set in late 19th-century Italy and follows Tullio Hermil, an arrogant aristocrat who openly flaunts his mistress, Countess Teresa Raffo, to his wife, Giuliana. : The plot hinges on a sexual double standard
: Visconti uses the framework of a romantic tragedy to critique the larger socio-political conflicts of the era, particularly those related to religion and morality. Production and Legacy The story is set in late 19th-century Italy
: Critics note that the narrative explores traditional gender roles—the man as the "author" of the story and the woman as the "reproducer"—often ending with a grim "triumph" of male authority over female maternity.