Marisa is called in the title "La Civetta, " or the flirt, as this orphan girl who hangs out at the train station selling sweets keeps changing her mind which of the different men who are attracted to her she prefers.This aspect of the story, her confusion, doesn't quite work as well as some of the other touches that seem to come from writer Pasolini: the guys making slangy comments as the woman strides sexily along a street, or another scene with men standing around arguing while a soccer game plays out by the sea.
The film is nicely staged by director Bolognini with some flowing use of the camera to follow characters.