A History of Violence

Tells the story of London being torn apart by the turbulent power struggles of its international gangs and the sudden power vacuum that's created when the head of London's most powerful crime family is assassinated.

Detectives Shintarou Sakurai (Sho Aikawa) and Koichi Hikage (Susumu Terajima) are partners. They are also corrupt and often blackmail criminal groups and seize their money. One day, the Chief of Police becomes aware that 2.5 million yen in seized money is missing. He orders Shintarou and Koichi to bring the money in by tomorrow morning. Shintarou and Koichi are in big trouble. They then read an article about a pension fund embezzlement case involving 6 billion yen. The prime suspect of the pension fund embezzlement case spent most of that money, but he has 2.5 billion yen left.

Money was what gangster Vince M. Falcone wanted most and he did lay hands on millions of dollars by fair means or (mostly) foul. But once he became rich what he craved for was respectability. So why not marry a lovely society lady? And with a young daughter as a bonus Mister Falcone could show off among the creme de la creme. Of course when times got rough he felt free to desert his wife and little girl. Fortunately "Traps," a lawyer working for the underworld, will console them both.

Roshan lives a poor lifestyle in Bombay with his widowed mother, who thinks he is gainfully employed, but Roshan has made crime his career and picks pockets and gambles for a living. A gangster named Shankar wants to hire him, but he refuses. Then one day Roshan steals 3000 Rupees from a man named Mohan, who was about to remit this amount to his Madhopur-based widowed mother and unmarried sister Shukal, so that they can pay off the mortgage on their residence. When the money gets stolen, Mohan kills himself. A guilt-ridden Roshan travels to Madhopur, pays off their debt, and returns home without telling anyone about Mohan's demise. Madhopur Police subsequently find out that the money was stolen from Universal Bank and start an investigation. Roshan is faced with another challenge when Shukal and Manglu Mama come to the city to meet Mohan, and Roshan and Shukal fall in love with each other. To complicate their romance, a cabaret dancer, Rita, pretends to fall in love with Roshan and moves in with him and his mother while the Police close in on Roshan, threatening to expose him as a thief in his mother's and everyone's eyes.