In the cold, gray streets of Rome, the echo left by a lost child reverberates amid the winds of neorealism. Roberto Rossellini turns his camera from the decaying splendor of the bourgeoisie to neighborhoods of poverty that rival hell itself. Shaken by guilt after her child’s tragic death, Irene leaves behind the comforts of her affluent life. As she searches for meaning among factory workers and the sick, she finds herself caught in the midst of class conflicts. These steps, which push the boundaries of her own world, begin to be seen as madness by those around her.