In the 21st century, after World War III has recently ended, society tunes in to a shocking form of entertainment: The Big Hunt. Those with violent tendencies are given a platform to compete, while crowds worldwide chase fame and fortune through the drama. The competition unfolds across ten rounds, with each participant experiencing five rounds as hunters and five as victims. The last person standing after ten rounds becomes unimaginably wealthy and can retire from this ruthless world of spectacle.
Caroline Meredith, Ursula Andress as the victim, has just claimed her ninth kill and is now pursuing the tenth with a hard-nosed resolve, backed by a substantial sponsorship from the Ming Tea Company. Her ruthlessly efficient mindset sets the tone for the final stretch of the game, where every move is broadcast to the public and every risk is measured in ratings and rewards.
Marcello Polletti, Marcello Mastroianni, is selected as the next target; yet his winnings from six kills have already been spent by his mistress, Elsa Martinelli as Olga, and by his ex-wife, Luce Bonifassy as Lidia. The tension escalates as alliances blur and personal vendettas collide with a ritualized, televised contest that treats violence as entertainment. The looming confrontation between Caroline and Marcello intensifies the pressure on both sides, layering ambition, desire, and danger in equal measure.
To carry out her plan, Caroline travels to Rome and assumes the role of a reporter studying the sexual preoccupations of Italian men. She requests an interview with Marcello at the Temple of Venus, a symbolic setting that underscores the game’s blend of myth, performance, and danger. Suspecting something amiss, Marcello schemes to stage a dramatic attack by a crocodile on live television for a rival network, but Caroline proves elusive and escapes. She then lures Marcello to the beach, convincing him of love, and after drugging him, brings him back to the Temple of Venus for a final, fateful showdown.
In a dramatic twist broadcast to millions, Caroline shoots Marcello on live television, only to discover that he loaded the gun with blanks. Marcello retaliates with a shot of his own, but her bulletproof armor saves her from harm. With the danger momentarily behind them, the two decide to break free from The Big Hunt and board a plane, choosing to pursue a life together. The story culminates with a jubilant, almost surreal image as the pilot showers them with a cascade of flowers, signaling a fragile but hopeful escape from the game that consumed so many lives.
