The Kinema Junpo critics were, of course, mistaken to think that Naruse had abandoned his emphasis on women. His next film, Sincerity, features two strong female characters, played by Irie Takako and Murase Sachiko, each of whom have a daughter. The girls are schoolmates, but one (Nobuko) is from a middle-class home and the other (Tomiko) is from a poor family. Tomiko's mother Tsutako (Irie) is a single mother who works from home as a seamstress, while Nobuko's mother lives in an elegant home with her husband, Kei. Eventually, it is revealed that Kei had a romantic relationship with Tsutako, and may be Tomiko's father as well, but he is conscripted shortly after this revelation and goes off to war.This is very much a home front film, in which the women are involved in supporting activities, and the whole town cheers on the new recruits. As Kei is a banker, he is conscripted as an officer. He is introduced brandishing a magnificent sword, indicating his readiness for his call-up, for which everyone congratulates him when it comes. The wartime context is little more than a backdrop to the story of paternity and former love. The complex emotions among the women are conveyed through cutting on eye movements and eye lines, and through the use of the pastoral location.

在1995年之前的几年中，北京西郊靠圆明园附近的村落中陆续从全国各地来了一些追求自由创作的青年艺术家。这些人在村里农民的出租房安顿下来，然后雄心勃勃买颜料绷画布，进行艺术的探索与创作。农民对他们的画不感兴趣，但他们知道这些人是通情达理有学问的人。这里有湖水、树林和圆明园的废墟。然而他们面临的最大困难是凑齐每月要交给房东的房租，买画并不是唯一的生存手段，甚至主要靠别的手艺来维持生活。因为他们的作品很另类，有反叛的精神，不太合乎传统的美学，这引起了习惯看宣传画的官方的警惕。1995年春天，先是有小道消息，后来还是感到有点突然，官方终于行动，毫不费力就把住在村落的近百名艺术家和他们的孩子们一起赶走了。本片纪录了这个春天，以及春天以后这些艺术家们在冬天的故事。

军阀横行的民国初年，为人仗义的街头浪荡客孟刚（姜大卫）、铁虎（狄龙）是一对以打假、耍人、“骗钱”为乐的好兄弟，两人在乱世的缝隙中过着“两耳不闻窗外事，一心只行及时乐”的优哉日子。某日孟刚结识革命军战士万大哥，经过短暂误会，两人成为朋友，并在万大哥的鼓动下和铁虎萌生帮助革命军的念头。通过父亲是军阀大头目的孟刚女友（井莉）的帮助，他们搞到一辆军用汽车，接着迎来潜入军阀阵营偷枪、与军阀展开连串斗智斗力的厮杀、把偷来的军火送交到革命军手中的刺激征程。

青年前卫艺术家齐雷（贾宏声）的一项行为艺术引来众多媒体、同行及过路客的关注。该行为艺术的前三部分，立秋日模拟土葬、冬至日模拟溺葬、立春日作象征性的火葬完成后，齐雷宣布为与社会的冷酷对抗，他将在最后一部分，即在夏至日用尽自己的体温融化一块巨大的冰（冰葬）时，真正结束自己的 生命。齐雷女友（马晓晴）和朋友们得知后，竭力阻止。他们不知的是，执意要赴黄泉路的齐雷不过是幕后推手手中的一枚棋子，他所实施的行为艺术只是另一项包含阴谋的更大的“行为艺术”的一部分。