提到上杉的这个姓氏，人们第一反应往往是军神“上杉谦信”，或是他的侄儿丰臣五大老之一的“上杉景胜”，却几乎无人会想起这部剧的主人公 - 上杉鹰山。确实，就算是在日本人中，时至今日，他也不算一个十分知名的人物，因为他的身上不具备那种历史人物的“偶像气质”。 　　两任美国总统，J.F.肯尼迪和B.克林顿访问日本时，都将上杉鹰山，列为他们最佩服的日本政治家，以至于日本的媒体当时都惊呼“上杉鹰山是谁？” 　　上杉鹰山是米泽藩第九代当主（第一代为上杉谦信）。上杉家由于关原之战的战略失败和之后一些储嗣的问题，造成领地从关原之前的一百二十万石下降到十五万石。收入缩水85%但家臣人数和支出并未相应减少，造成米泽藩财政赤字大增，到鹰山这一代时已接近崩溃的边缘。 　　鹰山所要作的是打破旧思维，励精图治实行改革。但改革无论在什么时代，都会遭遇保守势力的阻力，且看鹰山如何将其一一化解。

Having been discharged from the Marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) delays the return to his hometown, feeling that he is a failure. While in a moment of melancholy, he meets up with a group of Marines who befriend him and encourage him to return home to his mother by fabricating a story that he was wounded in battle with honorable discharge. They make him wear a uniform complete with medals and is pushed by his new friends into accepting a Hero's welcome when he gets home where he is to be immortalized by a statue that he doesn't want, has songs written about his heroic battle stories, and ends up unwillingly running for mayor. Despite his best efforts to explain the truth, no one will listen.

Having been discharged from the Marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) delays the return to his hometown, feeling that he is a failure. While in a moment of melancholy, he meets up with a group of Marines who befriend him and encourage him to return home to his mother by fabricating a story that he was wounded in battle with honorable discharge. They make him wear a uniform complete with medals and is pushed by his new friends into accepting a Hero's welcome when he gets home where he is to be immortalized by a statue that he doesn't want, has songs written about his heroic battle stories, and ends up unwillingly running for mayor. Despite his best efforts to explain the truth, no one will listen.

故事发生在1942年，哈萨克斯坦的巴甫洛达尔镇的一队远东军中。 坦克手斯捷潘急切地想见到自己的母亲，而正在哨所站岗的士兵 利托夫金却面临艰难的抉择：是服从军令，还是让母亲去见他的 儿子。

A Russian-Canadian filmmaker gains unprecedented access to follow a Russian Army battalion in Ukraine.