唐初，太子李建成亲随石彦生（吴兴国 饰）与秦王李世民旗下大将霍达（张丰毅 饰）交好，二人于郊祭狩猎时邂逅公主红萼（陈冲 饰），红萼风情万种，自此在石彦生心中留下印迹。不久玄武门之变事发，石彦生早由霍达处得知消息，却无力改变局势。太子被杀，石彦生为保石家清白，立誓绝不侍大唐，与五名下属剃度为僧，隐居寺庙，伺机起兵反对秦王。不久红萼到访，一行人在山下的繁华世界流连，始知大势已去，天下太平。一行人在归途中被官军截杀，红萼死于刀下，石彦生万念俱灰，寻至一处破庙，得孤老僧人（李名扬 饰）收留，但石彦生终日只被往事纠缠，心苦不得脱。未几一名酷似红萼的女子在庙中削发为尼，再次将石牵回记忆的羁绊…… 　　本片获1994年香港电影金像奖最佳新演员、电影音乐奖等多项褒奖。

Near the beginning of the Tang dynasty, in 7th century China, General Shi Yan-sheng is tricked into leaving the crown prince unguarded. The crown prince is murdered by one of his brothers who then becomes emperor. Shi retreats to a monastery, perhaps to hide, perhaps to plan a coup. When his loyal troops as well as the princess he desires are slain, he seeks refuge in a remote, abandoned monastery where an aged abbot schools him with practical, earthy teachings. The emperor's forces pursue Shi: first a woman, then a general seek to overpower him with lust and might. Over the course of the film, the reds of battle give way to blues of meditation.