The film begins in the 1930s and opens on a note of joyfulness as the central character, Guido, and his best friend, Ferruccio, dash down a country road as the brakes on their car give out. While Ferruccio attempts to fix the car, Guido wanders upon a little farm, where the woman who is to become the love of his life literally falls from the sky into his arms. "Good morning, princess!" he cries.

Upon moving to this town Guido manages to run into this very woman, who is a school teacher named Dora. although the meetings are seemingly coincidental; each time greeting he with “Good morning, princess!”. Guido comes to find out that this woman with whom he has fallen in love is already engaged to another man. Guido manages to rescue his princess from her fiancé and the two fall deeply in love and begin a life together, later having a son Giosué.

At this time, the country is under the Fascist rule and Guido and his uncle (for whom Guido works) Uncle Eliseo are harassed by the fascists due to their Jewish heritage. At last, the day comes when Guido, Giosué, and Uncle Eliseo are taken away by the Nazi’s and sent to a concentration camp. Dora, who is not required to go, refused to be separated from her family and insisted upon being taken to the camp as well.

At the camp, Dora, Guido, and Uncle Eliseo are separated; Giosué stayed with Guido. Guido decides that he will create an elaborate scheme to protect his young son from their horrific surroundings. By turning their circumstances into a game for the young boy, and convincing Giosué that his own father did the very same for him; he tells Giosué that if he stays silent, does not cry or ask for his mother, and obeys all the rules, he will win points. After he wins 1,000 points, he will get first prize: a real tank. Giosué becomes excited at the idea, and approaches the camp as a game rather than what it truly is: a prison.

Throughout their time at the camp, Guido desperately tries to reach out to let Dora (who is in the women’s camp) know that he and Giosué are alive and well. He sneaks into the office to shout out “Good morning, princess” on the loud speaker and allow Giosué to speak out to her.

Soon the war is coming to an end, and the camp is thrown into a state of chaos and panic. Guido realizes that all of the prisoners are being loaded into trucks, and these trucks are returning empty. Desperate to warn Dora, Guido tells Giosué to hide in a cabinet until everyone has gone, and goes as far as to dress in women's clothing and sneak over to the women's camp. He is discovered by the soldiers, but as he is marched off to his death, he manages to give his son one last moment of joy: as he walks by the cabinet where Giosué is hiding, he gives his son a wink and does a funny walk, playing the game to the bitter end.

When morning arrives Giosué, seeing that everyone has gone. He looks around in confusion and then hears a rumbling in the distance. His eyes light up as he realizes a real tank is rounding the corner! He thinks he has won the game. An American soldier pulls him up into the tank, and they ride out of the camp. As they pass the crowds of escaped prisoners, Giosué recognizes his mother and runs to her. As mother and son are reunited, Giosué cries out "We won!”

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