Painter and illustrator Ernesto (Sergio Castellitto) -- a strident atheist -- finds his patience tried and his philosophy tested when his opportunistic family attempts to coerce him into false testimony to ensure his murdered mother's sainthood. Complicating matters is the fact that his son (Alberto Mondini) has begun to adopt spiritual beliefs. Director Marco Bellocchio delivers an incisive look at religious desolation in this provocative film.