Ernesto 1979

Ernesto's early life in Trieste

In 1911, Ernesto is a 17-year-old living with his widowed mother in his violin-loving Jewish uncle's house and working a routine office job. He begins to voice socialist views largely to provoke his uncle, showing a restless temperament. The setting is framed as socially constrained, shaping his choices.

Ernesto challenges family with socialist views

To upset his uncle, Ernesto openly espouses socialist beliefs, creating friction at home. The family tensions foreshadow the conflict between his desires and traditional expectations.

Meeting the stableboy and a secret romance

Ernesto meets a stableboy and they form an intense, secret romance that develops despite societal norms. Their bond deepens into an emotional and physical relationship.

Romance is discovered; Ernesto loses his job

The relationship is discovered, leading to Ernesto losing his job. He also reveals to his mother the nature of his relationship, further straining the family.

Reaction at home

Ernesto's mother reacts with distress, illustrating the era's moral judgments. He wrestles with guilt and the weight of his family's disapproval.

The relationship ends; he turns to prostitution

Disillusionment from the affair pushes Ernesto toward prostitution, ending his relationship with the stableboy. He becomes more detached from his earlier self.

Violin lessons bring Rachel and Emilio into his life

Ernesto takes violin lessons and encounters 15-year-old Rachel and her twin Emilio, who are both depicted by the same actress. They become significant figures as they fall for him.

The twins fall in love; Ernesto marries the sister

Both Rachel and Emilio fall in love with Ernesto, and he ends up marrying the sister, forming a new family dynamic. The marriage resolves tensions with his mother and uncle and with his former employer.

Ernesto outgrows spontaneity, denies past

Having outgrown his years of spontaneity, he begins to deny his earlier sexual past. He encounters his first lover again but refuses to recognize him, signaling a deliberate erasure of that history.

Marriage as a turning point toward conventional life

The marriage marks a shift toward a conventional life, centering Ernesto's attention on family and social acceptance. The narrative frames this as a response to time's pressures.

Setting and social constraints in 1911 Trieste

The story remains anchored in Trieste in 1911, highlighting the social constraints shaping Ernesto's choices. The setting emphasizes the tension between desire and duty.