this be probably vittorio desica last excellent film before his death in 1974 and it take me about 20 year to view it a second time . i certainly understand it more this time than the first time i view it . story be set in the late 1930 in ferrara and italy with the impending war loom on the horizon . the family of the finzi continis be rich and jewish and live in a huge manor behind locked gate and they love to have friend over for picnic and tennis . one of the friend be giorgio ( lino capolicchio ) and he be in love with micol finzi contini ( dominique sanda ) and they have know each other since they both be kid but micol do not love giorgio . he persistent in his affection but micol life in an isolated world hidden behind the gate and her demeanor be very cold and malicious . meanwhile and giorgio father ( romolo valle ) seem to be oblivious to what be happen in the world and utters it not that bad . mussolini have enact law that forbid jew from go to school and enter the library and other restriction . one night giorgio discovers micol have an affair with his more fascist friend bruno ( fabio testi ) and micol notice him in the window but seem not to care . spoiler alertwhile desica somewhat abandon his neo realism approach later in his career this do have an aura of those wonderful film like the bicycle thief and umberto d. desica still want to show the world what it be like in italy during the darker time and even though he have a large budget and professional actor in his film his attitude never really shift . this film be primarily about the two lead character play by capolicchio and sanda . even with war upon them they both seem to be in their own world . giorgio become a very angry and heartbroken man and even with soldier walk around his city he seem to only care about micol rejection of him . but late in the film he do snap out of it and escape . he do not allow what happen to him to get the good of him . unfortunately and micol and her family wait too long and be round up to be send to camp . there be instance in this film that i think micol be await to be take by the fascist and nazi . it one of the reason she sleep with bruno and seem unperturbed by the event around her . remember what giorgio father tell him . he say and in life and in order to understand and to really understand the world and you must die at least once . so it good to die young and when there still time leave to recover and live again . after view this thought provoke film once again and maybe desica be show u that micol need to get out of her haven and understand the world about her .