Accattone follows the story of a young man named Accattone who faces financial difficulties and resorts to exploiting a prostitute to survive. As he navigates the poverty-stricken streets of Rome, he becomes involved in a robbery and faces moral dilemmas that force him to confront his own idleness.

Mamma Roma tells the story of a woman named Roma, who is trying to escape her past as a prostitute and provide a better life for her teenage son. However, their hopes are shattered when her son gets involved in a life of crime and violence. Roma must now confront her own choices and fight to protect her son, even if it means facing the harsh realities of poverty and the corrupt society they live in.

A soldier has his horse stolen on his wedding day and spends the first day of his honeymoon looking for it.