Captain Marsili then informs him of the proceedings that Saro is subjected to; he also summons a carabiniere who is uncertain about the dynamics of the whole incident and tells him that the investigation will still be difficult.
In the meantime, things are not going well in the barracks, either: in fact, Saro is provoked by his fellow soldiers, and Gianni defends him by making him aware of the dangers that run inside the military structure.
But the younger man obstinately decides not to drop the charge and even spits in the sergeant's face, whereupon Gianni strikes him by breaking his leg.
From that moment onwards, he exerts more pressure on the sergeant, withholding freedom from the platoon and forcing the soldiers to undergo back-breaking night-time drills to turn Gianni's comrades against him.
Gianni continues to deny the accusation, but reveals that two years before, Roatta's driver, the soldier Granelli, went on leave because of neurasthenia.
Scarpa, upon his family's denunciation, is arrested for maltreatment, fraud, and for falsification of accounts, having been heavily indebted to the car dealer.
Marsili, praised by the commander, turns down the promotion nevertheless, remembering Roatta's foreign missions and claiming that he does not want to build his career on the destruction of another officer.
Once he is released, Gianni is greeted by Saro again as his friend; while Roatta, who shows up at the hearing in a camouflage suit, commits suicide with a bayonet before the astonished judge.