The Great War

Oreste Jacovacci arranges a deal to bribe Giovanni Busacca to dodge conscription, promising help in exchange for money. Giovanni is wary but the ploy sets the stage for a fraught but growing alliance. The encounter marks the start of a bond between two men who care little for ideals but want to survive the war.

They meet again on the way to the front, and their initial anger gives way to a reluctant sympathy. Their bond deepens as they realize they share a pragmatic streak and a common reluctance toward danger. The train ride cements their unlikely friendship.

They endure relentless training and the brutal realities of combat, interspersed with brief, infrequent leaves. The two men discover they lack any guiding ideals, relying on each other to weather the war's pressures. The camaraderie grows amid the chaos of the front.

They witness Italy's crushing defeat at Caporetto, a chaotic episode that unsettles everyone around them. The retreat and confusion sharpen their awareness of their own fragility and the precarious nature of their survival. The experience irreversibly alters their outlook on war.

The day after Caporetto, they are assigned as relay runners, a dangerous role given they are labeled the 'least efficient' troops. They must move under fire and through exposed lines, testing their nerve and loyalty. This assignment tightens the bond between them as they push forward together.

After completing the relay mission, they sleep in the stable of an outpost near the front line. A rapid Austrian advance thrusts them behind enemy lines and into a perilous predicament. The serenity of night shatters as they scramble to escape.

Captured by Austrian forces, they are accused of espionage and threatened with firing squad. Fear and confusion mount as they realize their lives hinge on a desperate pivot of courage and self-preservation. Their fate hangs in the balance as interrogations begin.

Oreste inadvertently reveals that they possess crucial information about Italy's counterattack on the Piave. To survive, they both decide to pretend they know nothing and clamp down on any potentially helpful truth. The arrogance of the Austrian officer and the Italians' contempt paradoxically harden their resolve to withhold what they know.

Giovanni openly insults the Austrian officer, while Oreste asserts he is unaware of the information. The confrontation crystallizes their determination to keep the information secret, sealing their fate. Their moral stance under pressure becomes a quiet act of defiance.

As the confrontation reaches its peak, Oreste is shot, his loyalty and sacrifice exposed in a single, brutal moment. Giovanni survives the encounter, though he bears the weight of their shared decision to stay silent. The act foreshadows the costs paid by those who choose honor over self-preservation.

The battle at the Piave front ends with an Italian victory and the reconquest of the position. Their captain, unaware of their sacrifice, comments approvingly about their supposed clever escape. The victory is felt on the battlefield, but the true cost remains hidden from their commander.

In the final moments, the film hints at the soldiers' sacrifice being unknown to those who count victories. The captain's misperception underlines the tragedy of silent heroism in war. The story closes with a somber reflection on what is seen and what is left unsaid.