大佛像仍在山下等开光。铜像工厂外，一个是工厂警卫，一个是工厂老板，一个是靠资源回收过日子的潦倒男，就此交集出人间疯狂故事，连大佛都被扯下水。神明也会挑人保佑吗？人都不知道怎样当人了，大佛要怎样成佛？

Charged with leading demonstrations for the democratization movement, student activist Kim Gi-young (Moon Sung-keun) is a fugitive from the law. He sneaks into a mining village on the verge of being shut down, with a fake ID in hand. Feeling frustrated with the current state of activism, which centers around the intelligentsia, he gets a job as a man-of-all-work at a coal factory and meets the motley inhabitants of the mining village. Dae-sik (Yang Jin-yeong) works to support his family in place of his father, who is in prison for instigating a strike. Detective Kang (Lee Su-chan) always keeps a sharp eye on everything that goes on in the village. Then there are strike organizer Cheon Do-seong (Kang Neung-won), fellow worker Jeong (Hwang Hae), Taek's mother (Kim Kyung-ran), and Sun's mother (Jo Ju-mi). Sung-cheol (Park Joong-hoon), whose father is a local bigshot and the owner of the coal factory, lords it over the neighborhood bars and cafes. Angry at his father (Park Kyu-chae) for leaving his mother and marrying another woman, Sung-cheol vents his resentment on the cafe girls and factory workers. Meanwhile, Young-sook (Shim Hye-jin), who works as a prostitute at the local cafe, is becoming fed up with Sung-cheol's violent and demeaning treatment of her. When she meets Gi-young, who is reserved but warm, she begins to have feelings for him and stops selling sexual favors. As the impending miners' strike darkens the horizon, Gi-young and Young-sook fall in love and enjoy each other's company. Then one day, Sung-cheol receives news of his mother's death and wreaks havoc at the cafe. When Young-sook refuses to satisfy his demands, he starts to beat her up. Gi-young tries to stop him, but his intervention brings him to the attention of Detective Kang and he is hauled off to the police station. Gi-young undergoes torture at the hands of the police, but he is eventually cleared of all charges and released. When he finally comes to through Young-sook's devoted care, he tells her that he is a wanted fugitive. His identity is soon exposed and he is forced to run once more. Young-sook decides to leave the village with him, and heads to the cafefor her things. While making her last coffee delivery, Young-sook runs into Sung-cheol, who tries to stop her from leaving. She ends up killing him, and is dragged off by the police as Gi-young waits for her at the train station.

在传说中，人鱼的肉是众人趋之若鹜的珍贵药材，凡是食用它的人，即可获得永生不死的荣耀。在一次偶然中，渔夫涌太（山寺宏一 配音）和伙伴们捕获了一奇怪的肉块，鬼使神差中，三人分食了此物，不久之后，其中的两人暴毙，而不知是幸运还是不幸，从这天起，幸存下来的涌太成为了不死之人。经过了几百年是世事变迁，涌太终于无法忍受独活的孤独和寂寞，他决定走遍世界各地，发誓要找到解除永生诅咒的方法。在世界的某处，被村人监禁的名叫真鱼（高山南 配音）的女子在姥姥的哄骗下吃下了人鱼的肉。涌太和真鱼，当两人相遇时，命运之轮开始转动，两个背负着永生罪孽的人，踏上了充满危险和死亡的逃亡道路。

一列客车的硬席车厢内，一个6岁的盲童正熟睡着，或许他还在做着甜梦。可是，他怎能料到自己的亲生父亲乘他熟睡的时候，已经偷偷地下了车。如今，这个双目失明的残疾儿童小元已经成了被抛弃的人。但是，小元并没有被社会主义这个温暖的大家庭抛弃。在车厢里，列车长、乘客、新婚夫妇、小胡、老站长以及旅客们都非常同情他，向他伸出了援助的手。大坪火车站客运员任淑芬热情地把小元带到自己家中，和退休的妈妈一起无微不至地照料他，等待查找他的家庭住址。任淑芬刚认识不久的男朋友肖秉诚，是由农村进入城市的汽车司机，从外表看，他老实、敢厚，对淑芬和她的妈妈十分殷勤体贴，深得淑芬妈妈的喜爱。一次，肖秉诚到淑芬家去吃晚饭，小元听到他的声音，认为是爸爸来接他了，急忙从里屋走出来叫他，使得肖秉诚十分惊慌，忙加以掩盖。之后，他又婉转地劝淑芬把小元送孤儿院。任淑芬对小元十分同情，她不辞劳苦地四处奔走，为小元治眼睛、找学校，经多方调查，小元的家终于查到了。"小元就要回家了"的消息，使肖秉诚心神不定。就在送小元回家的这一天，他把小元骗上江轮，再次丢掉。船上的水警又把小元送回。在淑芬送小元回家途中，小元向她吐露了自己两次被丢的真情。淑芬在小元家看到他父母的结婚照片时，不由惊呆了。原来小元的父亲就是苦苦追求的肖秉诚。夜深了，淑芬还在和肖的妻子秋嫂吐露心声。回家后，她奋笔疾书痛斥了肖秉诚的卑劣行径。秋天到了，乡间的小路上铺满了落叶，肖秉诚无精打采地回到家门，乡亲们不理他，儿子把他拒之门外。黄昏时分，家家屋顶升起缕缕炊烟，唯有肖秉诚孤独地坐在一块大石上，越来越浓重的夜色渐渐地吞没了他。