Autopsy (1975) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Autopsy takes place in Rome, Italy. The story unfolds across the city's urban landscape, moving from the bustling coroner's office to sunlit beaches and shadowy apartments. Rome's public institutions and historic streets create a dense backdrop where public life and private intrigue collide.

• rome
• italy
• setting
• location
• city

Autopsy is set in the late 1970s, a period marked by urban tension and social change in Rome. The era's atmosphere colors the story with a sense of danger, reflected in the city's pace, from workdays in the morgue to nocturnal racing scenes and discreet exchanges of documents.

• 1970s
• time period
• era
• rome
• 1970s italy

Autopsy explores three central themes: Mental State, which examines how the brutal autopsy environment and harassment push Simona toward psychological fragility; Investigation, where forensics and deduction reveal staged suicides and hidden motives; and Inheritance, which exposes greed as a primary driver of violence and corruption among the characters.

• themes
• mental state
• investigation
• inheritance
• greed

Simona Sena is a resident pathologist at Rome's coroner's office who becomes overwhelmed by brutal cases and the strain of her job. Her psychological fragility is fueled by harassment from her assistant Ivo. Despite her trauma, her keen attention to detail and stubborn resolve drive the investigation into the string of suicides.

• simona
• pathologist
• protagonist
• main character
• coroner

Edgar Riccardo is a race car driver who uses his charisma to manipulate those around him. He is revealed as the serial killer orchestrating the string of murders staged as suicides. Edgar masks his murderous actions behind a charming exterior until his plan unravels in a climactic confrontation.

• edgar
• race car driver
• killer
• antagonist
• murderer

The Mental State theme explores how trauma and stress blur the boundary between reality and illusion. Simona's exposure to brutal autopsies and the harassment she endures push her perception toward the brink, causing credible and unsettling hallucinations of victims. This psychological strain is central to the film's intense atmosphere.

• psychological
• trauma
• hallucination
• reality
• illusion
• stress

A race for a will and antiquities exposes greed as a primary driver of violence in Autopsy. The relationships among Gianni, Betty, Lello, and Edgar become tools in a bid for wealth. Inheritance corruption fuels lethal confrontations and ultimately reveals the characters' true natures, with money motivating the murders.

• inheritance
• will
• greed
• money
• motive
• wealth

Father Paul Lenox is a priest who believes Betty's death was murder rather than suicide and urges the investigation forward. His moral certainties clash with the messy realities of crime, family secrets, and his stubborn belief in truth at any cost. His presence adds a religious and ethical dimension to the mystery.

• father paul
• priest
• religion
• ethics
• moral
• investigation

Rome in Autopsy is depicted as a city on edge, where public life and private intrigue collide. The late-1970s setting emphasizes urban tension with a mix of historic streets, bustling institutions, and shadowy apartments. The city's atmosphere reflects social change and danger, providing a tense backdrop for the crime thriller.

• rome
• urban
• city
• danger
• atmosphere
• tension

Forensics and deduction drive the plot as autopsy findings, injections, and wills reveal intertwined motives. Clues surface about staged suicides, hidden documents, and a network of deceit surrounding the characters. The pursuit of truth battles deception, fear, and the risk of moral compromise throughout the film.

• investigation
• forensics
• clues
• deduction
• suicide
• evidence

Autopsy is a thriller with horror and mystery elements. It features intense violence, sexual transgression, and gory, gruesome scenes typical of 1970s Italian giallo films. The genre blend creates a dark atmosphere focused on moral decay, exploitation, and a city in crisis.

• genre
• thriller
• horror
• mystery
• giallo
• 1970s

Autopsy has a consistently dark tone focusing on moral decay, exploitation of the dead, and a city in crisis. The intensity remains high due to relentless graphic deaths, including a child's murder, and the protagonist's psychological unravelling. The pacing varies between deliberate investigative sequences and bursts of fast-paced violent action.

• tone
• dark
• intense
• atmosphere
• moral decay
• violence