In Italy two sergeants in Napoleon?s army are condemned to death for having committed an act of pity, but only one must pay the penalty. After the ill-fated soldier obtains the right to see his family one last time, the other offers to be held hostage. Paolo Lorenzini (nephew of Collodi, the author of “Pinocchio”) wrote this classic story of popular literature. Realized on screen by the professional and veteran Guazzoni (from the silent film “Quo vadis?”), the historic film achieved an enormous success at the box office.