Bianco, rosso e Verdone 1981

Election day opens across Italy

Election day in early 1980s Italy begins as citizens prepare to cast their votes. Three men set off toward their polling places from different corners of the country. The day promises a chaotic ride as normal life collides with the mechanics of an important national vote.

Furio heads for Rome

Furio, a pedantic and talkative clerk from Turin, travels with his family toward Rome to vote. His obsessive planning turns the trip into a meticulous, fussy choreography. The journey foreshadows the friction waiting at the polls.

Mimmo and his grandmother on the road

Mimmo, simple-minded and under his diabetic grandmother's care, makes his way to the polling station. Their trip is marked by patience and the grandmother's constant expectations. The journey underscores Mimmo's vulnerability and dependence.

Pasquale departs Germany for Matera

Pasquale, nearly mute and married to a stern German wife, sets off in his Alfasud toward Matera in southern Italy. He travels with a stubborn, determined mood, unaware of the chaos awaiting him. The long path back toward his homeland frames the story's outsider perspective.

Motorway misadventures begin

The journeys turn into a chaotic string of misadventures as the men negotiate a maze of Italian motorways. Delays, detours, and minor calamities punctuate their attempts to reach their destinations. The roads themselves become the main stage for the day.

Magda is driven to the brink

Furio’s wife Magda is driven toward a nervous breakdown by his obsessive perfectionism. Her mounting stress turns every move into a carefully choreographed performance rather than a simple trip. The tension foreshadows clashes at the polls.

Mimmo faces ridicule from his grandmother

Mimmo endures constant ridicule and manipulation from his cunning grandmother. Her control undercuts his confidence and shapes his decisions on the journey. The dynamic underscores the vulnerability of the central figure.

Pasquale's car is stripped

Thieves strip Pasquale’s car of seats, a windshield, and wheel rims at each stop along the way. He continues onward, undeterred, clinging to the faint hope of reaching Matera. The relentless misfortune tests his resolve.

Motel meeting and separate fates

The three groups briefly intersect at a motel where Magda, Mimmo, and their families spend the night. Furio is absent, having ended up in the hospital after a car crash. The lodging becomes a focal point for shifting affections and fraught emotions.

Romances and misread signals at the motel

Magda is courted by Raul, a dashing man who has followed her from the start. Mimmo, in his naivety, is drawn to a call-girl; he misreads her intentions, confusing her with something harmless. The motel scene highlights the day’s comic and painful misunderstandings.

The polling stations finally reach them

The three men reach their polling stations, each facing the day’s pressures in a different way. The mundane act of voting becomes a stage for personal and political faltering. Tension and expectation hang over the ballots as the day progresses.

Magda escapes with Raul during voting

While Furio is distracted by the act of voting, Magda seizes the chance to escape with Raul. The turn of events reveals how personal desires clash with the day’s duties. The moment shifts the power balance among the characters.

Mimmo’s grandmother dies in the booth

Mimmo’s grandmother dies in the voting booth, shocking the polling staff and the onlookers. A heated debate erupts among the workers about the validity of her vote in light of the tragedy. Mimmo sobs openly, overwhelmed by loss and confusion.

Pasquale’s tirade and decision to leave

Patience finally snaps for Pasquale as the misfortunes mount. He delivers an unintelligible rant condemning the pointlessness of his vote and telling the state to go to hell, before bidding farewell and heading back to Germany. The moment marks his departure from the Italian electoral drama.