充满自信的程纬（周润发）大学毕业后，在玉福珠宝公司工作，表现出众，更与太子女方希文（郑裕玲）热恋。可惜好景不常，程纬为帮母偿还赌债，竟盗取公款，被野心勃勃的阮其昌（李道洪）揭发。程纬无奈入狱，文亦伤心离港，而养家的重担，使落在刚由大陆来港的纬弟灿（廖伟雄）身上。而程纬与方希文的感情亦告冻结。程纬于狱中与黑帮头目龙冠三结为好友，后程纬获假释出狱，得龙冠三介绍，进入一珠宝公司工作，成绩卓越。
程纬因缘际会认识了前电视明星欧晓华（欧阳佩珊），并成为情侣。此时，方希文父去世，玉福股份由她继承，但阮其昌已控制公司，且欲逼她离开。方希文得老臣子指点邀纬复出，与阮其昌对抗，终揭破他假公济私及贪污的罪行。
程纬与方希文二人余情未了，顿时令程纬陷入迷惘中，究竟谁才是他心中最爱？

Sylvia and Cora Miao play two widowed mothers, best friends and confidants who spend their days reminiscing about times past. Over the course of a lazy weekend afternoon, the two women conjure memories of Cora's husband, his life, his death, and his passionate affair with Sylvia. A series of wistful flashbacks reveal the sometimes touching, sometimes painful circumstances around the women's deep friendship with one another, and their love for the same man.

Taking place in 1941, Love in a Fallen City centers on Pai, a young woman who has been ostracized by her family for divorcing her rich husband. A local match-maker, Mrs. Hsu, takes pity on Pai and decides to bring her to Hong Kong, under the guise of employing her as the Hsu's nanny, but in reality to introduce her to Fan. Pai and Fan seem to hit it off, but Fan's refusal to marry Pai soon sours things. However, as the Japanese begin to invade Hong Kong, the two begin to realize their true feelings for each other.

1981 film by Ann Hui

1986 film directed by Edward Yang

1982 Hong Kong film directed by Ann Hui