A small village in the port of Naples in the year 1962.
Batino, the last representative of a group of shepherds, goes on the trail of a small-time and unscrupulous politician, the accountant La Rocca, who had promised him a job after the payment of a kickback but who then came up with nothing...
In his journey of research, Batino, has a way of thinking over the events of his life and of the daily fatigue which has oppressed him for years. His family and many of his friends have been forced to emigrate to Argentina in search of a better life. The countryside is run by politicians, who are in cahoots with the underworld, and the poor people are subjected to every type of harassment. Batino sees himself as an executioner in this, not only because of his sad condition but also for his mistaken and deluded friends. But his attempt to kill La Rocca, will end up in a crucial pang of conscience for his part in the elimination, making him feel his gesture is completely useless.....