Claudia Cardinale

Film director Guido escapes from the pressures of reality by retreating into himself, spending an inordinate amount of time inside vivid fantasy scenarios.

A sumptuous historical drama set against a luscious backdrop exploring the scandalous love triangle between Victorian art critic John Ruskin, his young bride Effie Gray, and his protǧ,̌ painter John Everett Millais. After marrying Ruskin, Effie quickly realizes her marriage is a lie when Ruskin refuses to consummate it. Yearning for affection, she soon falls for the charms of the charismatic Millais.