The Sunday Woman 1975

Mystery

Crime

Runtime

109 mins

Language

Italian

Made by

Les Productions Fox Europa

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The Sunday Woman Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Sunday Woman (1975). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Inspector Santamaria, Chief of Homicide Squad, Marcello Mastroianni, is assigned to investigate the murder of the architect Garrone, Claudio Gora, a second-rate fellow living on the fringes of polite society, who has been battered to death with a stone phallus.

Anna Carla Dosio, Jacqueline Bisset, the bored wife of a businessman who is often away, brings to the police a discarded draft of a letter she planned to send to her dear friend Massimo Campi, Jean-Louis Trintignant, in which she says they must rid Garrone.

Massimo Campi, Jean-Louis Trintignant, has a secret lover, a young clerk named Lello Riviera, Aldo Reggiani, who works in the city’s planning department, and Santamaria has the young man followed.

It emerges that Garrone was acting for the widow Ines Tabusso, Lina Volonghi, who lives in a crumbling villa, along with a “simple” sister. The house sits on Turin’s renowned Hill, and if she could obtain permission to build around the villa’s surroundings, she would make a fortune.

The Inspector is warned by his boss to move with care now that rich and influential people are involved. All his suspects have motives for killing Garrone, and none have solid alibis for the time of his death. While Campi withholds cooperation, to protect his homosexuality, Anna Carla enthusiastically assists Santamaria and promises him a secret rendezvous, beginning with lunch.

Hoping to win the cooperation of Ines, Santamaria mounts a night raid to clear her property of prostitutes.

By coincidence, a Saturday morning finds all the involved at the Balon, the city’s flea market, where Riviera is to meet with the possible murderer, but he is himself killed by a stone pestle.

The culprit is Ines, who killed Garrone after he had discovered by chance that on her property there was an ancient and artistic stone used as a laundry, set under the provisions of Art Superintendence, so the Tabusso grounds were forbidden to sell; Garrone had tried to coax her into believing the interdiction would be removed if she bribed the right people.

With the case solved, Santamaria and Anna Carla are able to enjoy the private lunch they promised each other. Their quiet, sunlit afternoon ends when she must get out of bed to start packing for the family holidays.

The Sunday Woman Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Sunday Woman (1975) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Garrone murdered at his residence

Architect Garrone is battered to death with a stone phallus, a macabre clue that launches the investigation. Inspector Santamaria, chief of Homicide, is assigned to lead the case and begins to map out the suspects among Turin's polite society. The victim's fringe position hints at a web of personal and financial motives behind the murder.

Garrone's residence

Discovered draft letter to Massimo Campi

The servants of Anna Carla Dosio bring a discarded draft of a letter to the police station. In the letter she writes that Garrone must be rid of. The find hints at motives and tangled relationships surrounding the case.

police station

Campi's secret lover is followed

Chief Santamaria learns Campi has a young clerk lover, Lello Riviera, who works in the city's planning department. He has Riviera followed to see if the lover becomes a link to the murder. The investigation begins to connect personal ties to public affairs.

city planning department

Garrone acted for Ines Tabusso

It emerges Garrone was acting for widow Ines Tabusso, who lives in a crumbling villa on Turin's Hill with a sister. The villa's affairs hint at a potential for profit through lifting building interdictions. The case links the property with city development and illegal influence.

Ines Tabusso's villa on Turin's Hill

Official warning to Santamaria

Santamaria is warned by his superior to move with care now that rich and influential people are involved. The message underscores the danger of crossing powerful suspects. The investigation is forced to tread carefully.

police headquarters

Campi withholds cooperation; Anna Carla helps

Campi withholds cooperation to protect his homosexuality; Anna Carla Dosio agrees to help Santamaria and promises a secret rendezvous, starting with lunch. The pair forge an uneasy alliance, trading information for favors. Their cooperation marks a turning point in the pursuit of the truth.

lunch time

Night raid on Ines Tabusso's property

Hoping to win Ines's cooperation, Santamaria mounts a night raid to clear her property of prostitutes. The raid demonstrates the inspector's determination to disrupt illicit networks tied to the villa. The action foreshadows that more secrets lie within the property.

night Ines Tabusso's property

Saturday morning at Balon flea market

On a Saturday morning, all involved rally at the Balon, the city's flea market, for different reasons. Riviera is set to meet with the suspected murderer, while others observe and maneuver in the crowded setting. The market becomes a focal point where hidden motives surface.

Saturday morning Balon flea market

Riviera killed at Balon

Riviera is killed by a stone pestle during the Balon gathering. The killing confirms that the investigation is closing in on the killer and that alliances are shifting under pressure. The event moves the case toward its resolution.

Saturday morning Balon flea market

Ines is the killer

It is revealed that Ines Tabusso killed Garrone after learning that her property contained an ancient stone used for laundry, protected by Art Superintendence. Garrone had deceived her, suggesting corruption would remove the interdiction. Ines's act ties the motive to property rights and bureaucratic protection.

Ines Tabusso's property

Case solved; private lunch

With the killer identified, Santamaria and Anna Carla celebrate a private lunch promised earlier. The success of the investigation allows them a moment of personal connection outside the case. The scene marks a brief respite before the real world intrudes.

Afternoon turns toward holidays

The happy afternoon ends when Anna Carla must get out of bed to start packing for the family holidays. The case is resolved, but the characters' lives move toward new plans and departures. The final image suggests a return to normalcy tempered by the crimes unearthed.

afternoon

The Sunday Woman Characters

Explore all characters from The Sunday Woman (1975). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Inspector Salvatore Santamaria (Marcello Mastroianni)

As Chief of Homicide, Santamaria methodically untangles a web of motives among Turin's aristocracy and professionals. He navigates cautious interrogations, balancing professional duty with the risk of clashing with powerful interests. His persistence drives the investigation toward the unexpected link between property, love, and murder.

🕵️‍♂️ Detective 🧠 Analytical 🗺️ Turin

Anna Carla Dosio (Jacqueline Bisset)

The bored wife of a frequently away businessman, she becomes an active participant in the investigation and a potential ally for Santamaria. She publicly aids the inspector while privately pursuing a secret rendezvous, blurring lines between motive and alibi. Her involvement reveals how social roles mask personal agendas.

💃 Socialite 🔐 Secrets 💼 Wealth

Lello Riviera (Aldo Reggiani)

A young clerk in the city's planning department, he is entangled with Massimo Campi and becomes a focal point for pursuit. He is followed by Santamaria, exposing the connection between bureaucratic power and romantic entanglements. His position makes him a potential lever in the killers' schemes.

🧑‍💼 Clerk 💘 Lover 🗺️ City planning

Ines Tabusso (Lina Volonghi)

Widow living with her sister in a crumbling villa, she emerges as the killer motivated by a claim to property and forbidden development. She kills Garrone after discovering an art-covered obstruction to selling the property, aiming to overturn the restriction. Her calculated actions expose the high-stakes politics of real estate and art supervision.

🏛️ Widow 🧭 Secrets 🗝️ Property

Garrone (Claudio Gora)

An architect who acts for the Tabusso widow and becomes a victim in the pursuit of property fortune. His involvement in the villa's dealings places him at the center of competing interests. The murder exposes the corrupt interplay between construction, law, and social class.

🏗️ Architect 💼 Motive

Massimo Campi (Jean-Louis Trintignant)

Wealthy individual with a secret lover, he withholds cooperation to protect his own interests. His romance with Lello Riviera adds a layer of personal risk to the investigation. The dynamic between Campi's privilege and Santamaria's scrutiny reveals the moral complexity of the case.

💼 Wealth 💘 Secrets 🕵️‍♂️ Hidden relationships

The Sunday Woman Settings

Learn where and when The Sunday Woman (1975) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Turin, Italy, The Hill district, Balon flea market

Turin serves as the urban stage, with the villa of Ines Tabusso perched in the prestigious Hill area and the city’s Balon flea market hosting key encounters. The Hill is Turin’s renowned high-ground that anchors the story of wealth and property contention. The city’s layout—planning offices, villas, and markets—frames the social dynamics underpinning the murder mystery.

🏙️ Turin 🗺️ City 🏛️ Architecture

The Sunday Woman Themes

Discover the main themes in The Sunday Woman (1975). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🏛️

Power and Influence

Turin's elite circles drive the narrative as property rights, planning authority, and inheritance shape the crime. Santamaria must navigate alliances with influential suspects while remaining faithful to investigative method. The tension between wealth, status, and justice is central to the film's moral landscape.

🕵️‍♀️

Secrets and Deception

A discarded letter, a secret lover, and hidden motives push characters toward confrontation. Each relationship reveals another layer of deception masking true intent. The investigation unfolds as clues surface and alibis crumble.

⚖️

Moral Ambiguity

The inspector balances loyalty to law with pressure from powerful patrons. The truth is messy, with multiple suspects possessing plausible motives. The pursuit of justice reveals flaws in the social order and the cost of exposing secrets.

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The Sunday Woman Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Sunday Woman (1975). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the elegant yet shadowed streets of Turin, a baffling homicide draws the city’s elite into the orbit of a police investigation that feels as much a social tableau as a crime scene. The authorities have assembled the usual pieces—a victim, a weapon, a suspect—but a mysterious figure known only as the “Sunday Woman” remains frustratingly out of reach. The case pulls the police into the world of high society, where genteel facades conceal unspoken ambitions and hidden rivalries, setting a tone that balances polished sophistication with an undercurrent of intrigue.

At the centre of the inquiry is Inspector Santamaria, the seasoned head of the homicide squad, whose methodical approach is tested by the flamboyant glamour of Turin’s upper class. His investigation leads him to Anna Carla Dosio, a restless wife whose marriage to a frequently absent businessman grants her both privilege and a lingering sense of ennui. She offers his cooperation, and an unexpected personal attraction begins to simmer between them, blurring the line between professional duty and private desire. Meanwhile, Massimo Campi, a cultured friend of Anna Carla’s, guards his own secret life, and his lover, the young clerk Lello Riviera, pursues an independent lead that adds further complexity to the tangled web of motives and alibis.

The film moves with a measured, almost lyrical pace, allowing the city’s architecture and social rituals to become characters in their own right. A blend of classic noir atmosphere and contemporary social observation creates a mood that is simultaneously intimate and expansive. As the investigation deepens, the elusive “Sunday Woman” looms like a phantom presence, promising that the answers lie not just in the evidence gathered but in the hidden currents that flow beneath Turin’s polished surface. The story invites viewers to linger on the tension between appearance and reality, and to wonder what secrets will finally surface when the city’s elegant mask slips.

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