This Italian film had three American distributors over three years before being approved by the Production Code in the USA. Anna Magnani plays a prostitute banished from Naples who returns to her home on a volcanic island off southern Italy, where she is only accepted by her younger siblings. When her sister falls in love with a procurer, played by Rossano Brazzi, Anna sleeps with him to convince her sister of his true nature, but to no avail. During a dive, Anna has to make a tough decision to save her sister, leading to guilt and remorse, and ultimately climbing the island volcano as it begins to erupt.