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.
亚历山大（盖·皮尔斯 Guy Pearce 饰）博士是一位狂热的科学爱好者，他一直想证明时间旅行是可行的，并将全部的精力都投放到了时间机器的研究中。可是一天，未婚妻的意外离世让他悲愤不已，并加紧了时间机器的研制，希望能重返过去，拯救未婚妻的生命。时光机研制成功，亚历山大成功穿越到了过去，亲眼目睹了未婚妻的意外事故。可是无论他回到过去多少次，都没有办法救回未婚妻，未婚妻都会因为各种意外事故身亡。问题，到底出在了什么地方？亚历山大为了解开这个谜，将寻找答案的希望放在了过去。不停的穿越，不停的前往未来寻找答案……直到八十万年后的地球，亚历山大发现，人类已经进化到跟现在完全不一样。而那时的地球上分为了两个派系爱好和平的伊莱人和好战的莫洛人，为了帮助伊莱人摆脱莫洛人的统治，亚历山大不惜毁掉时光机，而他也发现了最终的秘密。
《薪火相传》常见问题
薪火相传影片的精彩影评
昭和10年、不知火公 爵（清水紘治）は、自らの演出でマルキ・ド・サドの『悪徳の栄え』を妻の珠江（李星蘭）主演、脇はすべて犯罪者の劇団員でしめた舞台劇として上演しようとしていた。そして公爵は、劇団員の犯（牧野公昭）に命じて妻を犯させるという舞台裏の演出をほどこすが……。サドの原作を劇中劇にして、昭和初期、226事件直前の貴族の退廃をエロティシズム濃厚に描いた実相寺昭雄監督ならではの異色作。倒錯と欲望と退廃を徹底的にスタイリッシュな映像美で捉えながら、そこから導き出されていく狂える孤独感をも巧みに描出。また昭和初期の東京が舞台ということもあって、実相寺監督の前作『帝都物語』と表裏一体をなす作品としても讃えられている。気品と狂気をあわせ持つ清水紘治の名演も特筆しておきたい。奇才・実相寺昭雄監督が放つサスペンスミステリー。サディズムの語源となったマルキ・ド・サドの代表作「悪徳の栄え」をモチーフに、芝居を演じるハイソサエティの犯罪者たちが織り成す現実と虚構が錯綜した狂気の愛の世界を描く。