Costantino, a fellow trainee from Sardinia and, over time, the two young men talk about their hometowns. The course ends and Emilio finds that his destination is Colores, a town in the heart of the Barbagia region of Sardinia where his work will consist mostly in patrols and prevention. He finds this part of Sardinia completely different from the coastal areas described to him by Costantino. Colores is a town where the “old ways” are still the “good”, indeed the only way of doing things.
One day a man is killed right in front of his son, Efisio. The little boy recognises his father’s killer; it is Cortes. Emilio and his colleagues are called in to investigate, find Cortes and bring him to justice. Emilio talks to Efisio and finds that they have a lot in common as Emilio’s father is also dead. The carabinieri try to persuade Efisio’s mother that her son should “break ranks” and testify in court and say how he saw Cortes kill his father.
In the meantime, Emilio meets a young woman from the town called Giacomina and after winning over her initial reluctance and suspicions towards him, the stranger in town, they begin a relationship. Cortes is finally captured and brought to trial, but is found not guilty because the jury doubt Efisio’s testimony. Emilio sees all his efforts have come to nothing and becomes very depressed and disillusioned, this state of mind is not helped by the fact that his relationship with Giacomina is coming apart. On Good Friday, Efisio is found hanging in the pig-sty and this tragedy is the final straw for Emilio who realises nothing will ever change in that part of the world and leaves for a new destination.