This film is a condemnation of the racism and violence that exist in all wars, with the insidious effect that they have on everyone who takes part in them. But, above all, it is a tale of love and friendship, experienced with all the intensity of such feelings in times of war. In its adaptation of the neo-realist style, the film attempts to update the teachings of Rossellini, De santis and De Sica by making the setting, against which the characters act out their story, the foundation for the film. By abandoning all artifice in filming and the actor's performance, the film aims to involve the audience in the story as completely as possible.