This is one of the many films based on the legend of Chuji Kunisada, a wandering gambler and a defender of the weak in the Edo period. In other words, he was the Japanese Robin Hood. In this film Kunisada (Chiezo Kataoka) arrives to a small town terrorized by an evil gang. He insists that he is not Kunisada, as the word is Kunisada has been executed, but of course the audience know better. Sonny Chiba plays an unusual supporting role as a helpless young man unable to defend himself from the gangsters. He does, however, get to play taiko drums and dance with Junko Fuji (who makes her film debut here). Chiba's father, an old judge who helps Kunisada, is played by Takashi Shimura. The film hardly anything exceptional, but it's a pretty decent jidai geki / yakuza drama.

松本清张第三部长篇推理作品改编
故事從一家擁有五千名員工的昭和電器製作所，在發薪日前夕慘遭詐騙集團騙取一張支票開始。在會計課課長關野德一郎自殺之後，欲追查其真相的人也相繼慘遭殺害。
而關野的下屬荻崎追查後發現，在德一郎死因的背後，所有的事件皆受到某個地下組織操控。荻崎隻身對抗這個右翼組織，並實地走訪調查真相，奔走日本四處……

昭和33年，家道殷实的矢岛商店老板嘉藏（深見泰三 饰）过世。三个女儿藤代（京マチ子 饰）、千寿（鳳八千代 饰）和雏子（高田美和 饰）并未在丧父之痛中沉浸太久，便卷入接下来的遗产之争。在遗产分布会议上，三个女儿纷纷对自己的遗产表示不满，作为宣读人的矢岛商店管家宇市（中村鴈治郎 饰）也暗中运作，企图侵吞矢岛家的山林。心怀鬼胎的各路人马轮番上场，围绕巨额财产展开了明争暗斗。更令藤代姐妹无法忍受的是，父亲生前与照顾他的美丽女子滨田文乃（若尾文子 饰）相爱，不仅与之有了爱情的结晶，还将她列入遗产继承人的名单。这场遗产之争变得愈加扑朔迷离……
本片根据山崎丰子原著小说改编。