 It was also the first feature film scored by Ennio Morricone.The movie takes place in 1944, when Italy was divided between the fascist puppet state Repubblica Sociale Italiana (controlling the northern half of the Italian "boot") and the allied-occupied southern half.Fascist bosses gathered in Cremona (in the far North of Italy and well away from the line of fire) pick enthusiast militant Primo Arcovazzi (played by Ugo Tognazzi) to take into custody professor Bonafe, a noted anti-fascist philosopher, from the rural location where he was confined in and to lead him to Rome (at the time controlled by the RSI).