这是一部探索阴谋理论的政治惊悚片，主角马泰是国营石油公司的总裁，被《时代》杂志称为凯撒以来最有权势的意大利人。当他于1962年死于神秘坠机事件后，居然没有人敢发表公开评论。马泰生前曾号召意大利经济摆脱外国垄断集团的控制，他的死亡背后究竟隐藏着什么？实际上在20年代初，墨索里尼已在意大利王国任要职。为进一步扫清政治道路上的障碍，是他密谋暗杀了议会中不断反对他、揭露他的法西斯党真实面貌的社会党议员马泰奥蒂。但由于墨索里尼牢牢控制着当时的政权，以致整个案件最后是不了了之，但它给历史留下了永远的一页。

Lise, a mentally unbalanced middle-aged woman, travels from her home in Hamburg, Germany to Rome, Italy where she embarks on a fatal destiny that she had helped to arrange for herself – a premeditated search for someone, anyone, with whom she could form a dangerous liaison. Lise meets a variety of people during her journey and stay in Rome who include Bill, a lecherous British businessman that she meets on the plane to Rome who tries to seduce her; Carlo, a young man whom Lise tries to know more about; an elderly Englishwoman named Mrs. Fiedke whom Lise bonds with to go shopping; and Pierre, a Frenchman who picks up Lise hoping to seduce her as well.
The film is told in a non-linear narrative as throughout the film are scenes of the local Rome police interviewing all the people that Lise interacted with as well as investigating the reasons for her strange behavior that led up to her own murder.