Pagliacci (1984)

The story is set in southern Italy and recounts the tragedy of Canio the lead clown or pagliaccio in Italian in a commedia dellarte troupe his wife Nedda and her lover Silvio When Nedda spurns the advances of Tonio another player in the troupe he tells Canio about Neddas betrayal In a jealous rage Canio murders both Nedda and Silvio Although Leoncavallos opera was originally set in the late 1860s Zeffirellis production is updated to the period between World War I and World War II