I 2 deputati (1969) Plot Summary Explained

The PCI approached Franco specifically to run against Francesco Grassiani. Seeing an opportunity to cause chaos within the rival party by pitting family members against each other, they proposed Franco as an independent PCI candidate. Despite Franco's initial doubts about being "too ignorant" and "too Catholic" for a communist party, the PCI leaders convinced him to run, turning the personal family rivalry into a political battle.

• communist party
• franchini
• candidate
• recruitment
• grassiani

Franco accepts the PCI candidacy after his wife Rita convinces him to take the opportunity. While initially hesitant about his qualifications, he agrees to run as the Communist candidate, entering the political race directly against Francesco who was already campaigning for Christian Democracy. This transforms their existing family tension into a full-blown political contest.

• franchini
• candidate
• election
• campaign
• wife rita

Francesco, desperate to win the election against his brother-in-law, dispatches a hitman to interrupt Franco's final rally. The attack creates chaos and draws attention away from Franco's speech, representing the extreme tactics Francesco employs to gain an electoral advantage. This reflects the cutthroat nature of the political rivalry between the two men.

• hitman
• attack
• rally
• disruption
• campaign tactics

After Franco wins the election, a Christian Democracy party leader arrives with news that a recently elected centrist deputy has died. Since Francesco was the highest-ranking non-elected candidate from Christian Democracy, he automatically gains entry to Parliament through succession. This unexpected death opens a parliamentary seat that Francesco fills, allowing both brothers-in-law to serve as deputies.

Foreshadowing: The timeline earlier establishes Francesco as a prominent politician with connections to CD leadership.

• parliament
• deputy
• death
• succession
• christian democracy

Despite Francesco's prominence as an established Christian Democracy politician and his attempts to sabotage Franco's campaign, Franco emerges victorious as the PCI candidate. The victory is unexpected given Franco's humble background as an usher and his initial self-doubt. The film's comedic tone presents this as a surprising result that defies the traditional political establishment.

• franchini
• election victory
• communist party
• upsets

After the election results, Franco's wife attempts to reconcile with her sister-in-law (Francesco's wife) as a gesture of peace following the political battle. However, the reconciliation effort escalates into a physical brawl between the two families. This incident demonstrates how the intense political rivalry has poisoned family relationships beyond repair, at least in the short term.

Foreshadowing: The ongoing tension between the wives is established from the beginning as the underlying cause of Francesco and Franco's arguments.

• brawl
• family fight
• reconciliation
• wives
• conflict

When the PCI first approaches Franco about running as their candidate, he expresses self-doubt, claiming he is "too ignorant" and "too Catholic" for the communist party. Despite these reservations, he ultimately accepts the candidacy after his wife Rita persuades him to seize the opportunity, setting in motion the central conflict of the film.

• self-doubt
• ignorance
• catholic
• franchini
• candidacy

During the campaign, both rivals engage in a back-and-forth battle over speeches, attempting to steal or mimic each other's oratory to gain an electoral edge. This comedic tactic underscores how personal rivalry amplifies political strategy, with each side trying to outmaneuver the other through intellectual property theft rather than genuine debate.

• speeches
• stolen
• campaign tactics
• oratory
• debate

Francesco and Franco's wives are sisters who harbor intense mutual animosity, despite sharing a building and office space with their husbands. This sisterly rivalry predates the political campaign and serves as the initial source of conflict between the two brothers-in-law. Their constant arguments about family matters create the tense environment that later explodes into political warfare.

• wives
• sisters
• family feud
• rivalry
• conflict

Francesco runs as a candidate for the Christian Democracy (Democrazia Cristiana) party, representing the traditional center-right political establishment in Italy. Franco is recruited by the Italian Communist Party (PCI) to run as an independent candidate under their banner, representing the left-wing opposition. This creates a direct political clash between two major Italian political forces.

• christian democracy
• communist party
• italy
• politics
• election