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A young boy abandoned at a monastery attempts to come to reconcile his faith with the violence and unpredictability of the outside world in this drama from director Luigi Comencini. In the 16th century, war is raging and a young mother abandons her baby at the door of a crumbling monastery. Named Marcellino by the caring months and raised until he is six years old, the young boy is adopted by a wealthy count and offered a life of luxury beyond his wildest dreams. Though his new home offers all of the amenities one could want in life, it lacks the heart of his former home, and Marcellino longs to return to his humble but loving monastery. When Marcellino's new father takes the young boy on his first hunt, the trauma suffered upon experiencing such violence forces Marcellino to flee to his former home in the midst of a raging storm. Discovered by the friars the following morning and placed in a loft with an enormous crucifix, the young boy finds comfort in the man on the cross during his convalescence.