With a storyline straight out of tragedy, this comedy was wildly popular in its native Italy. In the 1970s, Renzo (Francesco Nuti) was just a naive country boy, and Margherita (Carole Bouquet) was a wildly attractive and urbane hippie. They were much taken with each other, but Margherita disappeared from Renzo's life for several years while she was involved in some dangerous political activities and terrorism. Her return to his life came when she was in great danger of having to spend a long time in prison. Renzo saved her from this, and they got married. Their passion for one another dwindled to the point that they tried some experiments like wife-swapping to spice things up a bit. At the same time, Margherita's career was going very well, while Renzo remained basically a country bumpkin. When Renzo finds out that his wife wants a divorce, he resorts to desperate measures to keep her: he abducts her from her city life and takes her to the country, where he requires her to perform her wifely duties obediently. The film opens as the kidnapping husband is defending his actions in court.