The widow Rosaria moves to Milano from Lucania with her poor south Italian family, five sons. In the beginning everyone manages to find something to do, Simone is boxing, Rocco works in a dry cleaners, and Ciro studies, but Simone meets Nadia, a prostitute, and they have a stormy affair and then Rocco begins a relationship with her. A bitter feud ensues between the two brothers, which will lead as far as murder...the peasant lifestyle they have left behind is replaced only by violent misfortune and relentless corruption. Neo-realism which spirals towards a splendidly melodramatic climax.