Eternal

Marco rides away from Elisabetta’s house and travels to the Vatican, where he finds his priest brother Emedio. As they walk, Marco asks about their father’s alleged affair. Emedio, who is closest to their mother, confirms the affair, telling him to stay silent about it and avoid Elisabetta.

The first night of Passover, Sandro tells his parents that he will report directly to Professor Levi-Civita at La Sapienza. He also confesses his love for Elisabetta before the family’s friends, the Ferraras, arrive with their daughter Rachele. Shocked, his parents argue that he must marry a Jewish woman.

The principal calls Marco in for a meeting, noting his school performance. He doubts Marco can read and wants to test him for neurological conditions. Offended, Marco refuses and threatens to tell his Fascist supervisor about the offer. Sensing the principal’s fear, he quits school. He spots Sandro and Elisabetta, and tells them that he quit school.

Elisabetta serves food at Il Cacciatore, the most upscale restaurant in Trastevere, a job Nonna helped her get. She sees Sandro’s family, and Sandro’s father Massimo introduces her as a peer to the Ferraras. Sandro interrupts, telling the table that he loves Elisabetta. Elated, she buys the table a bottle of Spumante.

The guards at Palazzo Braschi discuss a manifesto published in the newspaper that argues separate races exist, and that Jewish people are not Italian. Worried about Sandro, Marco rides over to see him with biscotti. He talks to Sandro, who identifies as Italian, and Marco agrees. They then discuss Sandro’s work at La Sapienza. Marco thinks about Elisabetta and their competition for her love, and he realizes he loves Sandro as well.

Elisabetta wakes her father Ludovico with coffee, noting he’s unwashed and wearing old clothes. Suffering from cirrhosis (liver scarring), he seems to lose consciousness, and Elisabetta runs to the doctor. She demands the doctor come to her house right away, and he agrees once he finishes with a patient. She returns home, and Ludovico dies, apologizing for his shortcomings as a father.

Elisabetta attends her father’s funeral, flanked by Marco and Sandro; Nonna and her son Paolo also attend. Marco leaves, asking Sandro to keep Elisabetta company. She tells Sandro that she needs to move to save money, but landlords won’t allow her cat Rico. Sandro discusses her father, and then mentions he and his own father aren’t seeing eye-to-eye. He tells Elisabetta that she’s exceptional.

Marco drives Elisabetta out of the city with his boss’s car. He eventually pulls over, offering her his help. He then convinces her to drive although she hasn’t before. Elisabetta quickly learns and drives.

Sandro arrives at school, parking his bicycle. He discovers the Fascist Party created new regulations for Jewish students and teachers, forbidding them from working or studying at Fascist schools. The principal tells the non-Jewish students and teachers to enter, while barring the Jewish students and teachers. Sandro rides to La Sapienza, finding out that Jewish teachers like Levi-Civita have also been dismissed. Levi-Civita waited for him, but Sandro arrives too late to see him.

At Casa Servano, Elisabetta and Nonna discuss the new laws about Jewish people and education. Nonna criticizes Mussolini, arguing that Jewish people represent part of Rome. She then says she’s angry with Elisabetta for marking up her newspaper. Still, she has a room for her, but her cat Rico can only stay if he doesn’t spray.

Sandro sees his sister Rosa enter the apartment before dinner. They discuss the new race laws, and Massimo joins the conversation when he arrives. He tries to be optimistic, arguing that the government promised money for Jewish schools. Rosa again asks her parents to leave Italy, and then admits she married David. Her parents point out that he’s not Italian: Gemma expresses sadness that she missed the wedding, but Massimo disapproves altogether. Sandro erupts, pointing out that Massimo worries too much about ethnic identity, especially on the day that Jewish people have been told they’re not Italian.

Aldo works at his father’s bar, making coffee when he notices Uno’s wife there. She notices him and tells him that he needs to pick up the guns in Orvieto that night. Marco sees Uno’s wife, thinking she’s the married woman Aldo claimed to have an affair with. That night, Aldo picks up the guns—however, the secret police follow and kill him in a field.

Marco tells his parents about Aldo’s alleged affair when he doesn’t return home the next morning. Buonacorso arrives at Bar GiroSport, and tells Beppe and Marco that Aldo was an anti-Fascist, killed while resisting arrest. Marco and his father attend Aldo’s funeral. Marco sees Elisabetta and starts to run to her. Beppe commands him not to and hits him, but Marco swings back, admitting he knows about his affair with Serafina.

Massimo heads to the local synagogue to meet other Jewish leaders. The government passes more laws, barring Jewish people from intermarriage and ownership of property. Massimo considers exceptions in the laws and how the Jewish community can respond.

Marco heads to work and notices the coldness of the guards at Palazzo Braschi. He meets with Buonacorso and Spada, who say his loyalty to Fascism is questionable because of Aldo. Buonacorso fires Marco, but he pleads for time to find Uno’s wife. The men give him 24 hours to save his job.

Elisabetta sits in her nearly empty apartment, packing everything she didn’t sell. She worries as Rico prepares to jump onto a distant table, and warns him. While she looks away, he jumps, landing safely.

Marco visits his father despite their recent fight. He asks about the tourist photographer who was taking pictures the day Uno’s wife visited. Using this information, he tracks the photographer to a camera shop nearby. Impatient, Marco rushes to the dark room and demands a copy of a specific print. He pays for it and passes it on to his boss.

Elisabetta journeys to the Ghetto, hoping to see Sandro, who has been avoiding her. She finds him teaching math at the school in the Ghetto, and he greets her coldly. He says the law has made him a lesser citizen. Still, Elisabetta chooses Sandro over Marco. He says the law and his parents forbid their love, and tells her to leave.

Sandro and his mother Gemma wait for Massimo to arrive home. They received an envelope responding to their application for legal exception. Sandro asks to open it, but Gemma says to wait for Massimo. She asks about his teaching and Elisabetta, noting that the race laws support their wish for Sandro to marry a Jewish girl. They argue and grapple with the envelope, which rips in half as Massimo walks in. The family’s application has been denied, and they will lose their home.

Beppe cleans up the bar, as Massimo and Sandro walk in. Marco serves them wine, and Massimo asks for Beppe’s help. Massimo reveals their application was denied, and Beppe acknowledges the race laws are wrong and that he will advocate for the Simones; Marco agrees.

Beppe and Marco visit Buonacorso, and Beppe advocates for Marco, saying Aldo is his responsibility rather than Marco’s. They give Buonacorso Marco’s photos, and he agrees to save Marco’s job. Beppe then mentions Massimo, asking for help. He gives Buonacorso an envelope, but then sees a former soldier-turned-secret police, and they argue. Beppe leaves, admitting to Marco that the envelope should work, because it was full of money.

Massimo remains in his study, thinking about the latest decree that removes all Jewish members from the Fascist Party. He considers the artifacts of a life that no longer belongs to him, including his law books. He hopes Beppe and Marco will help him.