在这部以法之名剧情片中,故事讲述一个满脸写着正直的西西里裔的年轻法官吉多•希亚伟（Guido Schiavi）来到了西西里村庄卡泊达尔索（Capodarso）。（众看官露出“有好戏看了”的表情）。而希亚伟不但与当地以帕萨拉夸（Passalacqua）为首的强大的黑手党势力发生冲突，而且还爱上的人正是试图向他行贿的煤老板的老婆！最终他对正义的信仰能不能经受得住考验呢？
A mule cart crosses the countryside. Two bandits push the driver off and, when he resists, kill him. The bandits steal the mules... The town of Capodarso, Sicily. The Baron doesn't want help from Mafia boss Passalacqua to recover his stolen mules. A new judge is arriving... At the station, the new judge Schiavi meets the departing judge Pisani. Schiavi is young, but he's Sicilian and set on changing the old ways... A man in town has been shot, Aleo, one of the bandits. Before he dies, he refuses to name his killer but looks strangely at Messana in the doorway. The other bandit, Vanni, is on the run... Schiavi learns that much of the town is unemployed because the mine is closed. The mine is owned by the Baron's beautiful wife, but the Baron runs it. Why keep the mine closed in spite of the old court order to reopen? Schiavi goes to the mine to investigate. He is confronted by Passalacqua and his band of armed horsemen...
