Three Brothers (1981 film)

Plot

In a farmhouse in southern Italy, an old woman, the matriarch of an Italian family, dies. Her husband summons their three sons, each of whom are facing difficult personal problems, back to their farmhouse. One of their sons, Raffaele, is a judge living in Rome, who is presiding over a terrorism case for which he risks assassination, and is in fear of his life. Another son, Rocco, who lives in Naples, is religious and works as a counselor at a correctional institute for boys, so that he can fulfill his dream of helping troubled teenagers. The third son, Nicola, who lives in Turin, is a factory worker involved in a labour dispute as well as a failed marriage. Each of the men grieves in his own way, while also wrestling with the other emotional issues that are pressing on them.

The sons encounter the past and engage in reveries of what may come: Raffaele imagines his death, Rocco dreams of lifting the youth of Naples out of violence, drugs, and corruption, Nicola pictures embracing his estranged wife. Meanwhile, the old man and his young granddaughter explore the rhythms of the farm and grieve together.

Cast