During the Fascist era, a music student in Venice Italy finds himself entangled with two decadent bourgeois families. He first falls for the young mother (Senta Berger) of one of his classmates (Christian Borromeo)with whom the latter has a rather strange relationship–the son calls the mother by her first name and often acts more like a jealous lover. The "Richler" family (the mother and son) are formerly wealthy bourgeois, but through them protagonist meets another family they are trying to marry into, a currently wealthy bourgeois family with a (presumably) gay, dour son and a very beautiful daughter, "Elena" (Ornella Muti). The conflict arises when the hero falls for the innocent, virginal "Elena" (who turns out to be not so innocent and virginal) and abandons the older woman. Jealousy, blackmail, and eventually murder ensue.
Dal racconto "La maestra di piano" di Roger Peyrefitte. Giovane con borsa di studio in musica diventa l'amante di una matura insegnante di pianoforte e fa la corte a bella fanciulla della ricca borghesia veneziana. In una confezione di lusso la sagra dell'ovvio, un carosello della banalità, un'indigesta pasta a sfoglie dove i più biechi luoghi comuni del cinema di denuncia antiborghese si alternano con i passaggi obbligati dell'erotismo permissivo.