Giuliana has attempted suicide and has been in a psychiatric clinic for a time. An industrialist, Conrad, is looking for workers for an operation in Argentina. He knows her husband Ugo from before and also gets to know Giuliana, who seems to be regaining her equilibrium. Everything seems about to collapse, however, when Giuliana's son gets sick and the woman takes on the disease with exaggerated somatic symptoms. Desperate, she throws herself into Corrado's arms and they have an affair. But he has to go to Patagonia and she doesn't seem able to solve her psychological crisis. Antonioni says he made the film primarily to show the aesthetics in modern industrial technology and the character of the woman who unsuccessfully tries to adapt to it.
