Rafael, a young man from the provinces, works as a waiter in a resort and helps himself economically having sex for money with rich older women. During a bomb threat, he is discovered in bed with one of the guest, Leonor Marchioness of Montenegro, and he is fired as a consequence. The Marchioness of Montenegro is an aging aristocrat, ruined economically, but still with wealthy and influential friends. She helps Rafael finds a new job in Madrid as the gardener in the mansion of Antonio Fernández Herrador, Minister of economy in the new democratic Spanish government.

José is an unemployed 18-year-old living in a cramped apartment in the slums of Madrid. Marginalized by poverty, José spends his time with his friend Antonio. However, when Antonio gets his girlfriend, Rosario, pregnant, the two friends try anything to get the money to pay for her to have an abortion.

A new doctor arrives in a small Spanish village. As soon as he begins meeting people there, he notices the strange behaviour of the population and is surprised. Young people make fun of him, a man called Gonzalo seems to be some kind of leader, and he is invited to leave the village when he tries to ask about the situation. All his questions get no answer. His neighbour is a lovely and pretty young woman, who works as the local teacher. They develop a sincere friendship from the very first moment, which grows to become love. Unfortunately, Gonzalo feels that the young teacher is "reserved" exclusively for him and he reacts with violence. Meanwhile, the doctor finds out the key of that strange behaviour. Some years ago, during the local feast, some drug-addicts attacked the village in order to get money and goods. There was a fight and some people died, including Gonzalo's son. From then on, Gonzalo and others began their particular "crusade" against drug-addicts.

After spending three years in captivity in Tunis, Bartolomé returns home Extremadura with the only hope to eat his favorite dish: the pork. Along the way he meets a deserter who is traveling with a sow.

Forty years later, Guillermo Montesinos, the actor who played José María el Cepa in The Cuenca Crime (1980), directed by Pilar Miró, returns to the various locations where the shooting of the mythical film, narrating the infamous Grimaldos case (1910), took place.