Inspired by the life of Benito Mussolini's first wife, Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), the film tells the story of tragic love amidst the tides of war. Ida, taken by the young and unemployed Benito (Filippo Timi), marries him and soon has his child. The two are separated at the outbreak of World War I, and Benito remarries. When Ida finds out, she tries to assert her place in his life, but the fascists are less than willing to tarnish the image of the man who is now a dictator.