The film, to me, is about survival of one's identity. Micol identifies with her childhood and could not let go of it in relation to her childhood sweetheart, Georgio, even while her physical desires develop and intrude. The conflict in her mind is exposed by her enticing Georgio but turning cold when he makes the moves on her. She said she could not breath. <br /><br />Similar to what happened to the Jews of Italy, they were drawn in by their identity. For the Italian Jews, they identified with the Italian civilization, thinking they were a part of it. Georgio identifies with Micol. As the Jews were slowly extracted from theirs, they kept on with those early ideas. Same with Georgio, he kept on with pursuing her. Then finally when he saw she had sex with someone completely different from him and her---and she even turns the light on to show him---he snaps out of it. He finally grasps the physial reality of the situation. The process is just as his father says: better you die (your relationship with Micol, your identity as being part of her world and visa versa) young and hence you have more time to start from zero. And for the Jews: better your notions of being part of the civility of Italian society die early so you have time to rebuild elsewhere.<br /><br />The others in the garden didn't die in time and so became unwilling prisoners, in contrast to their voluntary enprisonment behind the walls of their own estate. Once in prison, Micol finally behaves as a responsible, caring adult, but alas, too late.<br /><br />Prior to that, while in France, Georgio was told of the Nazi horrors and how one man escapes by shedding his identity and saying he has converted to Nazism. Georgio says he won't escape because he had too many ties back in Italy. His identity then was bound to the fantasy of the Jews in the garden, even though his realistic father says they are not his type.<br /><br />Survival of one's identity has been the cause of much suffering when outside, physical, uncontrollable reality intrudes. Unfortunately, the identity we construct in order to feel a sense of belonging which gives us a sense of power, often subtracts from a balanced, caring, and even civilized way. As a result, religious, nationalist conflicts have caused too much suffering to justify the gains offered by these simple-minded (childish?) views.