Ferdinando Cefalù, a Sicilian nobleman, is stuck in a loveless, arranged marriage with Rosalia, a woman he finds unattractive and dull. He is hopelessly in love with his beautiful cousin, Angela, but cannot divorce his wife as it is illegal in Italy. In a desperate attempt to clear his path to marry Angela, he comes up with a plan to murder Rosalia.
He learns that the penal code in Italy is lenient and pardons a man for killing his adulterous wife. His plan is to trick Rosalia into an affair and catch her in the act, which would give him a valid reason to murder her. Ferdinando confides in his friend, the painter Agnese, who agrees to help him by seducing Rosalia. However, things do not go as planned.
Agnesse falls in love with Rosalia and decides to blackmail Ferdinando, demanding that he leaves both Rosalia and Angela and marries Agnesse instead. Ferdinando is forced to come up with a new plan and discovers that his friend Carmelo, a member of the local Mafia, can help him.
Carmelo suggests that instead of killing Rosalia, Ferdinando should stage a scene where Rosalia catches him in bed with Angela, which would force Rosalia to divorce him. Ferdinando is apprehensive about the idea, but eventually agrees to it. The plan succeeds, and Rosalia files for divorce, freeing Ferdinando to marry Angela.
Divorce Italian Style is a satirical comedy that highlights the absurdities of the Italian legal system and the limitations of social norms and traditions. It paints a vivid picture of the Sicilian way of life and provides a window into the mind of a man willing to commit murder to be with the woman he loves. The movie is considered a classic of Italian cinema and won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1963.
