Marcello and Saro are two straggling boys, but also two inseparablefriends. M. pursues a dream: to become a boxing champion and marryAnna. Saro, on the other hand, is looking for a shortcut to make moneyand wants to convince Marcello to become a picciotto under the orders ofthe Maestro, the boss who maneuvers the city’s dirty business. One nightSaro drags Marcello to the beach. The Maestro has instructed him to col-lect a handful of illegal immigrants coming in from the sea. During the esca-pe, convinced he is defending his friend, Saro kills one of the stowawaysin front of his son’s eyes. And for him the gates of prison open. Marcellodoes not forgive him for his involvement, and their great friendship turnsto hatred. When Saro gets out of prison, many years have passed, but bynow there is a fixed idea in his head: to destroy the existence of the friendwho abandoned him. Meanwhile, Marcello has become a famous boxerand married Anna. And in the title bout, he suffers and wins. But Saro setshim up by having him accused of doping. End of career, end of dream.A moment before he ends up in the abyss, Marcello meets Carmine, astrange child with a mysterious past, who talks to no one. But one nightthe woman who picks him up from the orphanage every Sunday dies, andCarmine decides to open his mouth for the very first time to Marcello. Hechooses him. At first for Marcello Carmine is just a burden he would like toget rid of. Not least because he has accepted Saro’s offer and has entereda ring of clandestine meetings, which move money and bets, and above allinterest the Master very much.But Carmine’s presence is profoundly changing Marcello. And thediscovery that the little boy’s parents were killed on the orders of the Mae-stro, who wanted to protect Carrisi, one of his most trusted men, confrontshim with a choice: to enter the mafia ring for good or to drop everythingto take care of the child who now regards him as a father. To apply forcustody of Carmine, however, Marcello must have the money to supporthim, and the money comes from clandestine meetings. And Marcello is de-termined. If he has to risk his life fighting to have Carmine, he is willing totake that risk. But one day he really risks his life. Saro, unbeknownst to himand with the help of the Master, sets up a fight to the death in Casablanca.One of those fights in which only the winner stays alive. Marcello wins thefight and the audience asks him to finish his opponent. It is the straw thatbreaks the camel’s back. Marcello quits the clandestine fights and breaksoff relations with Saro. He looks for honest work, but he does not knowthat the Master and Saro are doing scorched earth around him. Marcellomust return to the ring. He is faced with two alternatives: give in to theMaster’s blackmail for love of Carmine and Anna (who has returned tohim), or reaffirm that he will never bend and prove to his woman and childthat he is still the clean and determined man they have always known. Butperhaps there is another way out?
