During WWII. Italian national Neapolitan Pasqualino Frafuso is a big-talking layabout who has grand ideas of his importance, especially in upholding the honor of his family, consisting of his mother and his less-than-attractive seven sisters. He admits to himself that he too is less than handsome, but believes he nonetheless attracts the romantic interest of most women. In upholding his sisters' honor he often calls himself Pasqualino Settebellezze, translated Pasqualino "Seven Beauties". Having gone AWOL from military service, he has just gotten off a train as a stowaway in an unknown locale when he meets another AWOL soldier, Francesco. They correctly assume that they're somewhere in Germany. Relaying his less-than-direct "point A to point B" story of how he arrived at this point, Pasqualino tells one in which every conscious decision was what he thought would be the path of greatest ease for himself in less-than-ideal circumstances, beginning with accidentally killing his sister Concettina's pimp (and, according to her, her lover and fiancé), declaring insanity in the ensuing legal battles rather than going to prison, and choosing military service rather than continue to endure medical intervention, such as shock treatment, at the psychiatric hospital. Pasqualino and Francesco are quickly captured by the Nazis and sent to a POW camp. Having already witnessed mass murders by the Nazis both inside and outside the camp, Pasqualino makes another "easier path" decision in what ends up being a dangerous campaign of seducing the obese, sadistic female camp commandant.