The story follows a rich, comfortable household thrown into escalating turmoil after a shabby vendor of sweet potatoes suffers a stroke in their drawing room. His presence alone isn't much of a catalyst (although it does spark plenty of interest and attention from the victim's greedy and envious tenement neighbors), but serves instead to counterpoint the absurd behavior of everyone around him. A large cast of sympathetic and eccentric characters bustles constantly in and out of each (oddly lit) scene, but despite all the frenzied activity and sharp dialogue the film presents a rather quaint moral: too much money spoils true love.
本来美国移民尤瑞(尼古拉斯?凯奇 Nicolas Cage 饰)的家族生意是开饭馆。但是一个偶然的机会令他踏入了军火生意的大门,从此开始了贩卖武器的“职业生涯”。尤瑞遇事机智,胆大心细,这不仅让他成功俘获了美女埃娃的心,还使得他在地下军火生意中愈战愈勇。但是,不顺心的事情也随之而来:出现了生意上的死对头和一名老是盯着他的国际警察;弟弟染上毒瘾,并在一单生意交易中丧了命,而且,尽管他在竭力维护自己在家庭里的正义形象,但却掩盖不了真相。尤瑞开始反省自己生意的正义性,拷问自己的良心,但一切太迟,他已经众叛亲离……
昭和四十六年,从女婿医院病愈归来的佐仓一诚(佐分利信 饰)受到组内热烈欢迎。此时中岛组拥有团体400多个、成员一万多人,号称日本第一黑帮。佐仓之女婿一宫恭夫(高桥悦史 饰)和少壮派代表松枝四郎(松方弘树 饰)更成为其得力干将。为进军关东,中岛组成立“樱花商事”以取得“日本船运”的控股权。东京的黑社会组织松风会与关东同盟联合对抗中岛组的入侵。关东同盟会长大山规久夫(内山朝雄 饰)与后藤通产大臣(滨田寅彦 饰)勾结,将中岛组认购的股票强行赎回,此举引发两派大规模抗争。另一方面,松枝替代辰巳成为中岛组新任年轻领导人,他与助手天坊信助(菅原文太 饰)合作围猎关东同盟•真光会会长大石刚介(三船敏郎 饰),但却引发中岛组新一轮的震荡……