The Gold Rimmed Glasses

Fishermen haul a corpse from the river Po and discover his broken gold-rimmed glasses stuck in the mud. The scene anchors the film in a present moment while the bulk of the story unfolds through flashbacks. This framing links the past tragedy to the moral collapse that follows Ferrara during the fascist era.

Dr Athos Fadigati, a prosperous middle-aged otolaryngologist, meets Nora, the last member of the Treves family, in Ferrara. He buys a painting and gives it to Nora’s ailing father, an act that marks the start of their complicated connection. Nora is torn between love for Davide and the social expectations of her Jewish heritage.

Nora's father dies, and she takes over her father's business, changing her attitude and becoming more decisive. Her independence alters the dynamic with Davide and the social circle around them. Meanwhile, Nora and Davide remain in love as Mussolini's antisemitic measures begin to bite.

Davide and Nora's romance deepens, with Davide dreaming of becoming a writer. The fascist regime's antisemitic measures threaten both families and Davide is anxious after a professor is fired for being Jewish. Davide's father remains outwardly confident that persecution won't spread to Italy.

Even as Davide commutes daily to Bologna by train, Fadigati also travels the same route as a patient-turned-friend. Rumors circulate that the doctor is homosexual, isolating him socially. Eraldo, a confident but troubled student, invites Fadigati to a boxing match and a seaside trip that foreshadows a broader conflict.

At a seaside resort along the Adriatic coast, the public pairing of Fadigati and Eraldo triggers gossip among Ferrara's elite, notably Signora Lavezzoli. Davide and Carlotta accompany Nora as she navigates the social whirl. The gossip and looming persecution set the stage for the erosion of trust among the protagonists.

During a gala at a local hotel, Nora is invited to dance by a fascist leader, leaving Davide feeling offended. Later, Eraldo punches Fadigati, and the doctor bleeds as the confrontation escalates. Back in their hotel room, Davide discovers that Eraldo has stolen the doctor's money and valuables, and the scandal shatters Fadigati's reputation.

Back in Ferrara, the fascist regime tightens its grip on the Jewish community. Davide is expelled from the university, and Nora ends her relationship with him to survive, choosing to convert to Catholicism and marry a fascist suitor. The doctor slides into moral and economic ruin as his social world collapses around him.

Fadigati loses his clinic, becomes an outcast, and drifts into isolation. He briefly befriends a street dog, whose subsequent abandonment mirrors his own social abandonment. Davide continues to visit him, offering a fragile thread of friendship amid ruin.

Davide visits the fallen doctor and they plan a final excursion to the Po river as a last gesture of companionship. A rainstorm cancels the trip, but Fadigati goes to the river anyway and walks toward his own death. The scene underlines the inescapable tragedy spiraling from guilt, pride, and social forces.

Nora marries her fascist lover and dies two years later in childbirth, sealing the tragedy of her compromised life. The choices of the characters are contrasted with the community facing persecution. Eraldo emigrates to France and Davide becomes a well-known writer.

The film closes with a grim note: many members of Ferrara's Jewish community are killed in concentration camps. The deaths underscore the human cost of political oppression and social complicity. The narrative lingers on the aftermath that history imposes on individuals and families.

Despite the tragedy, Davide emerges as a renowned writer, channeling his experiences into literature. His voice survives the era's ruin, offering a counterpoint to the fates of those around him.