Paris, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the beauty of Esmeralda, a young Romani girl. The hunchback Quasimodo, Frollo's protege and bell-ringer of Notre Dame, lives in peace among the bells in the heights of the immense cathedral until he is involved by the twisted magistrate in his malicious plans to free himself from Esmeralda's alleged spell, which he believes to be the devil's work.

國際級大導演胡金銓首部武俠片。本片的意識、技法均脫俗高明，劇情描繪及影像運用，則展示了胡氏古典文化信仰及大膽電影觀念。鏡頭下的刀光劍影突顯豪情；而古人詩中的豪邁與忘我，則由岳華及鄭佩佩演繹的栩栩如生。江湖敗類「索命五虎」作惡多端，殺人如麻。其老大被兩江總督張大人俘獲，不日問斬。其餘四虎鋌而走險，劫走張大人之子張步青以作要挾。張步青之妹張熙燕（鄭佩佩 飾）武藝高強，人送綽號「金燕子」。為救兄長，張熙燕獨闖虎穴，然惡徒狡猾非常，金燕子救兄不成，還險些丟掉性命。關鍵時刻，幸得隱於江湖的俠客范大悲（岳華 飾）出手搭救。 范大悲曾為某寺院修行者，其師兄了空大師為奪掌門人之位殺害師傅，師傅臨死前將丐幫掌門人信物交給范大悲。念及師兄弟之情，范從此隱姓埋名，以醉貓的諢號浪蕩江湖。此次索命五虎與了空大師聯手，勢要將金燕子和范大悲斬草除根……

In London at the turn of the century, underworld kingpin Mack the Knife marries Polly Peachum without the knowledge of her father, the equally enterprising 'king of the beggars'.