Clelia, a self-made woman coming from humble means, travels back to Turin, her hometown, to scout locations for the successful Roman atelier she works for. At the hotel, she encounters some upper middle-class women and she finds herself drawn into their friendships.
This film is taken from one of Cesare Pavese's finest works. It's seen through the eyes of Clelia, a fashion designer who has left her native Rome to start a business in Turin. There she witnesses a suicide attempt by Rosetta, a woman whose life, and the lives of Momina and Nene will influence Clelia's greatly. Marriage, men and money are the chief elements of the plot. This is one of Antonioni's finest films, from the period before L'avventura when he was exploring the themes that would preoccupy him for his entire career.