本片中的一家罗马穷人纯粹是无恶不作的刁民，欺诈、通奸、谋杀、淫乱，什么都干。大家长失去了左眼，从政府那里获得一百万里拉的补偿，他的亲戚想给他下毒，而他自己则花天酒地，甚至把妓女带回家。他酗酒、吹牛，还拿着手枪威胁亲戚。那些亲戚们如同是歌剧里的合唱队，步调一致对付他。他那十多个孩子似乎都被困在这个贫民窟里，前途无望。
如果说意大利新现实主义电影将下层社会圣洁化，那么，本片则撕开了那层圣洁的外衣。影片非常搞笑，同时又令人沮丧，似乎贫穷就是一种罪恶。斯高拉凭本片获得戛纳影展最佳导演奖。

Italy 1973. Giuseppe Tritoni (Ugo Tognazzi) is an ultra-right-wing congressman that doesn't agree anymore with his fascist party policy. He contacts many Italian Army officers and built a net of relationship in order to organize a Coup d'Etat (Golpe). Something goes wrong and the Interior Minister (Home Secretary) Mr. Li Masi (Lino Pugliesi) got the all information about the attempted Golpe. So the Minister organizes a counter-Golpe. Tritoni desperately, to save his project, kidnaps the Italian Republic President (Claude Dauphin) that immediately dies for heartache. Now Minister Mr. Li Masi is free to lay down the law to the rest of the country, realizing basically the actual Golpe! Tritoni surrenders and will spend rest of his time trying to sell his ideas about managing Golpe in Africa!

Luigi“Chinaman”Maietto越狱。他一获释，就立即指派两名党羽谋杀督察，督察的证词曾导致他入狱。探长坦兹被处死，但幸免于难。当地的报纸为他遮遮掩掩，假装暗杀成功了。当坦子病情好转时，他的上司希望他躲在瑞士。但坦兹拒绝了他，因为他打算确保马耶托被重新关进监狱。他会全力以赴。