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.

黑社会大哥八爷身患绝症，弥留之际将社团事务托付给即将由意大利回港的义子九纹龙黄九弟（刘德华 饰），并委托兄弟七爷（吴孟达 饰）和保镖小朱（郭富城 饰）尽力辅佐。权利旁落令社团实力人物龙爷（袁和平 饰）和后起之秀啸天心中颇为不满。与此同时，在印度的机场，侏儒黄九弟与和其面貌一样，但是只有儿童心智的心算天才李小灵阴差阳错的交换了身份，李以九纹龙的身份被七爷和小朱接回，但是徒有成人外貌的李终日只将精力放在游戏上，李因手下的暴力行为被带入警局，心地善良的李与警方达成共识，承诺将社团改造为维护治安的力量。李对龙爷之女静莹（关之琳 饰）一见钟情，龙爷却趁此联络啸天，意图在婚礼期间置李于死地……

美国南北战争时期，连连征战和南方军队的节节败退令士兵Inman（Jude Law 饰）心灰意冷，为了再见情人Ada（Nicole Kidman饰），他离开部队，踏上了漫漫回家路。在他的家乡，偏僻的冷山镇，Ada也饱受生活的折磨和等待的痛苦。父亲的去世和奴隶的离开，使养尊处优的Ada生活难以为继，在山区女孩Ruby Thewes（Renée Zellweger 饰）的帮助下，Ada渐渐学学会与周围粗砺尖锐的生活对抗挣扎，期待Inman的归来。穿越连绵战火，冷山，是他们之间唯一的连系，在这里，即使旧日所有的信仰天堂都已破灭，却仍能让你疗伤止痛。

在《大话西游之大圣娶亲》中死在牛魔王叉下的紫霞仙子（唐嫣 饰），将会通过月光宝盒预先看到这一下场，为了避免惨剧发生，她选择回到从前不让至尊宝（韩庚 饰）爱上自己。而至尊宝又再次重逢一直在等待他的白晶晶（莫文蔚 饰）。前世今生的种种爱恨纠葛再次在九道轮回里最后一次上演。