Sergio, a man of about forty, fresh from several unsuccessful romances, is contacted by Consuelo, an elegant old lady who lives in the city centre in a huge, rather decadent old aristocratic mansion. Consuelo commissions Sergio to tidy up her late husband’s personal archive. During his stay in Consuelo’s palace, the man meets her niece, the beautiful Aura. He falls in love with her, but the girl appears fearful and shy. She avoids going out with the man and does not want to meet new friends. Aura always remains segregated in Consuelo’s large mansion. After months of relationship the man insists on living in the sunlight, violently resisting a life of relegation, always with Consuelo’s presence around. One evening, while chasing Aura, Sergio discovers the truth: the girl has taken refuge among the clothes in a wardrobe to escape. When he discovers her, the woman turns out to be Consuelo. Aura and Consuelo are the same person. Consuelo possesses mysterious supernatural powers that have allowed her to transfigure herself into Aura. Thus she has seduced Sergio, in the hope of reliving the joys of love, for her a memory of a now distant youth. Sergio, maddened by the discovery, makes a final gesture by capturing Consuelo and burning her alive in the courtyard of the ancient palace.
Genre: drama
Cast
Rosanna Schiaffino: Aura
Richard Johnson: Sergio Logan
Gian Maria Volonté: Fabrizio
Sarah Ferrati: Consuelo Lorente
Soundtrack Luis Bacalov
