The film is composed of five episodes which depict Italians' love lives in the 1960s.

Penniless Baron Tulicò, nicknamed Leopard, abandons his mistress, with whom he's had two sons, and marries a rich woman. The mistress tries to have her rights established with the help of her sons.

Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.