THE LIBERTINE

When her husband Franco suddenly dies, the young and beautiful Margherita "Mimi" Delleani is informed by Franco's business partner, Sandro Maldini, of an apartment registered in her late husband's name. Mimi discovers it to be a luxurious apartment, where she finds home videos of Franco engaging in BDSM with other women, including her best friend Claudia. Shocked and dismayed by this discovery, she realizes that her disappointment does not stem from jealousy, but from the fact that she was not involved in Franco's fantasies; she presumes that he deemed her too "respectable" and "sacred" for his fantasies.

Mimi buys a copy of Richard von Krafft-Ebing's book Psychopathia Sexualis and embarks on a quest to understand sexual perversions. She lives out Franco's fantasies with various men, both acquaintances (including Sandro) and strangers (including a man who mistakes her for a prostitute), each time learning more about the depths of human depravation, as well as the extent of the sexual double standard for women. In Franco's apartment, Mimi has sex with a stranger she met at a party who behaves aggressively by ripping her dress. She also has an affair with Claudia's husband, Fabrizio, and unsuccessfully tries to engage in sexual roleplay with him and a female friend of his.

Mimi's mother, concerned that she has not heard from her daughter in a while, convinces her to schedule an appointment with the family doctor for a checkup. During the appointment, Mimi meets a radiologist, Dr. Carlo De Marchi, who carries her on his back when she accidentally sprains her ankle. She later reads about the sexual practice of riding on someone else's back, with the tale of Phyllis and Aristotle cited as an example. When Mimi attends one of Carlo's university classes, he fails to recognize her and later invites her to accompany him to an archaeological site near the sea. Checking into a hotel room together, he finally recognizes her, and after she admits she is not enrolled at the university, they have sex.

On the drive back to Rome, Carlo asks Mimi when they are getting married, but she responds that he does not know her at all. She suddenly strips to her panties, discarding her clothes on the highway. Stopping at a gas station, Carlo goes into the convenience store to get a coffee while dozens of men gather around the car to ogle Mimi, her eyes filling with tears. When Carlo drops Mimi off at her place that night, he again asks her when they are getting married, and she tells him to meet her the following day.

The next day in Franco's apartment, Mimi plays one of Franco's home movies to Carlo. Although Carlo accepts Mimi for who she is, she refuses to marry him, prompting him to destroy Franco's apartment and spank her buttocks until she finally agrees to marry him. After the wedding ceremony, Carlo happily agrees to let Mimi ride on his back like a horse.

Mimi ultimately agrees to marry Dr. Carlo De Marchi after he accepts her for who she is, culminating in their wedding and a playful act echoing her quest for sexual agency.

The ending underscores Mimi’s journey toward self-acceptance and challenges conventional gender roles. By marrying Carlo only after he embraces her sexual independence, Mimi asserts her autonomy. The playful final gesture—riding on Carlo’s back—serves as both a nod to her explorations and a symbol of mutual understanding within their new relationship.