Under threats of death from the ruling Japanese army, a WWII Chinese village cares for a wounded Japanese soldier and a Chinese translator-collaborator. Awaiting the promised rescue mission, the villagers are in a quandary, uncertain whether to free or kill their captives. The New Year passes as botched escapes and assassination attempts pile up. A bold plan is finally devised by the foolhardy Ma Dasan (Jiang Wen) to return the men to the Imperial Army in exchange for wheat. Complications mount, varying in significance from the atom bomb to a horny donkey. The notion of honor and heroism, reverential in Eastern interpretations of WWII, are skewered in this chaotic black comedy depicting the insanity of war.