In 1936 Italy, Elio returns home from Africa with a present for his wife in the form of Zerbal, the daughter of a tribal king. Unbeknown to him, his neglected wife Alessandra has formed a relationship with Elio’s otherwise frigid secretary Velma who is less than pleased at Elio’s return.
Alessio, a young man from a well to do family, has been mute since the death of his mother two years ago. His father, who has subsequently remarried, sends him to his sister-in-law's house in the country to recuperate. While staying there Alessio has erotic fantasies concerning his stepmother, his aunt and a young art restorer working on the estate, all of whom his father is sexually involved with.
