The Bigamist (1956) Plot Summary Explained

Isolina Fornaciari claims she married Mario De Santis years earlier in Forlimpopoli. However, it was actually a case of mistaken identity, she married a different man with the same name. Isolina, described as an elderly single woman, was trying to trap a handsome man into marriage and used the false claim to pursue Mario.

Foreshadowing: The accusation surfaces at the police station, where Isolina directly confronts Mario about a marriage he has no memory of.

• Isolina Fornaciari
• bigamy accusation
• Forlimpopoli
• mistaken identity

Mario pleads guilty on his defender's advice as a strategic move to navigate the legal maze. By pleading guilty, he could expose the complications of the case and reveal the truth about the mistaken identity. This counterintuitive strategy was meant to clarify his position and ultimately lead to his exoneration.

Foreshadowing: The eccentric lawyer's theatrical defense approach foreshadows this unconventional courtroom strategy.

• Mario pleads guilty
• courtroom strategy
• legal defense

The court recognizes Mario is innocent of bigamy because the marriage never actually occurred, there was a case of mistaken identity. However, by admitting to the charges through his guilty plea and making statements about himself during the trial, he is convicted of self-malignancy, which essentially means he defamed his own character through his admissions.

Foreshadowing: Mario's decision to plead guilty directly leads to this unexpected verdict.

• self-malignancy conviction
• court verdict
• bigamy cleared

Isolina is condemned for perjury when her false accusation is exposed. The court determines she had exploited the circumstance of the same-name situation to try to trap a handsome man into marriage. Her scheme backfires completely, and she faces legal consequences for her deception.

Foreshadowing: The friend finding Isolina's real husband in Rome directly exposes her lies.

• Isolina perjury
• false accusation
• court consequences

Valeria Masetti begins to doubt Mario's innocence after being influenced by her sister and the family lawyer. The social pressure and gossip from neighbors and relatives cause trust to fracture between the couple. The surrounding environment closes ranks against Mario, and Valeria stands apart from him during the legal ordeal.

Foreshadowing: The family's lawyer adds pressure on Valeria to distance herself from Mario.

• Valeria Masetti
• marital doubt
• family pressure

Quirino Proietti, a friend Mario meets in prison, realizes the case may hinge on a same-name situation. He travels across Rome searching for Isolina's real husband and eventually finds the man. He then brings this person to court, where the crucial truth about the mistaken identity surfaces.

Foreshadowing: Early in the investigation, the possibility of confusion about Mario's identity is hinted at.

• Quirino Proietti
• Rome search
• mistaken identity discovery

After Mario is granted bail, his case is entrusted to the Honorable Prince of the forum, an eccentric and flamboyant defender. This talkative and theatrical lawyer becomes a curious catalyst in the courtroom drama, adding an air of farce to the mounting tension as the truth begins to emerge.

Foreshadowing: The prince's flamboyant persona is introduced when Mario gets bailed out.

• prince of the forum
• eccentric lawyer
• courtroom defense

Mario serves a small sentence for self-malignancy and is released from prison. His wife Valeria and son are waiting for him at the prison exit. The family reunites, and the film closes on a note of cautious reconciliation, with the household coming back together after the legal ordeal.

Foreshadowing: The verdict sets the stage for Mario's minimal sentence and eventual return to his family.

• Mario released
• prison reunion
• family reconciliation