In the vibrant African neighborhood of Château d'Eau in Paris, Charles is the smoothest of all the hustlers. His job to fill the districts numerous hair salons with customers. But when the competition is tough and everybody’s trying hard to be number one, dirty tricks are just around the corner. Fast talk, tall tales, tailored suits and secrets of the heart... Welcome to Chateau!
史蒂夫(比利·克鲁德普 Billy Crudup 饰)在跑步方面有着过人的天赋,许多教练想要将他收入麾下但却纷纷遭到了拒绝,因为,在心高气傲的史蒂夫心中,只有传奇田径教练比尔(唐纳德·萨瑟兰 Donald Sutherland 饰)有资格成为他的“师傅”,经历了一番波折之后,史蒂夫最终成为了比尔手下的得力战将。 经历了比尔别具一格的严格训练,史蒂夫获得了长足的进步。之后,他在校园里结识了名叫马瑞(莫妮卡·波特 Monica Potter 饰)的美丽女孩,两人双双坠入了爱河。一场竞争激烈的比赛中,初出茅庐的史蒂夫获得了第四名的好成绩,就在比尔和马瑞都在为他感到高兴的时候,史蒂夫却宣布要结束自己的职业生涯,因为他脆弱的自尊无法承受没能得到第一名的打击。
Bill Saunders, disturbed ex-soldier, kills a man in a postwar London pub brawl. Fleeing, he hides out in the apartment of lonely nurse Jane Wharton. Later, despite misgivings about his violent nature, Jane becomes involved with Bill, who resolves to reform. She gets him a job driving a medical supplies truck. But racketeer Harry Carter, who witnessed the killing, wants to use Bill's talents for crime.
Min Ji-suk runs a ticket barwhere customers can purchase tickets for certain servicesin the town of Sokcho in Gangwon-do. She hires Miss Yang (Ahn So-young), Miss Hong (Lee Hye-young), and Se-young (Jeon Se-young) through the employment agency. Miss Yang and Miss Hong, who are well experienced in this type of business, are used to accepting propositions from customers. But Se-young, who is dating a college student named Min-su, rejects all requests for sexual favors. When Min-su professes to having problems with his tuition and finances, Se-young reassures him that she will procure the necessary funds for him. When the bar's clientele begins to dwindle because of Se-young, Ji-suk reprimands her severely. Se-young develops a close relationship with a Captain Pak and even allows him to sleep with her. She asks Captain Pak to find Min-su employment on a boat, but when Min-su comes to Sokcho for his new job, he sees how Se-young has been making her living. Shocked, he turns his back on the job and leaves. When he eventually returns to Sokcho, he scathingly denounces Se-young's morality and severs their relationship. Decades ago, Ji-suk had stumbled into the bar business in a desperate effort to support her husband, who was serving time in prison; she later left him voluntarily out of shame and moral degradation. Concerned that Se-young will end up with the same fate, Ji-suk asks Min-su to meet with her. She begs him not to abandon Se-young, but he flatly refuses. Ji-suk reacts by pushing Min-su into the sea, and suffers a mental breakdown that lands her in a psychiatric institution.