The titular forces are incarnated in Love and Anarchy's two female protagonists, prostitutes in an elegant brothel in 1930s Rome at the height of the fascist regime. As a member of the resistance, Salome (Melato) embodies Anarchy and is the contact for southern peasant Tunin (Giannini) who comes to the big city to assassinate Mussolini. At the bordello, Tunin is smitten by Salome's younger colleague Tripolina (Lina Polito), the embodiment of Love. Out of Tunin's contradictory commitments to the two women, and their differing demands of him, Wertmüller fashions a dark and politically astute comedy of the clash between desire and will that earned Giannini the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.