Lucas Jackson（保罗•纽曼 Paul Newman 饰），一个越战的退伍兵，在一个喝醉酒的夜里拆掉了镇上的停车计时器而被判两年的监禁。一开始，他就挑战监狱里的领袖人物Dragline（乔治•肯尼迪 George Kennedy 饰）。Dragline个头比Lucas大得多，把Lucas打得毫无还手之力，但Lucas却一直拒绝屈服，因此赢得了Dragline的尊重。而在监狱的扑克比赛中，Lucas屡屡取胜，得名Cool Hand Luke。Lucas的母亲和侄子的来访让他备受鼓舞，虽然他在监狱里要忍受许多恶劣的环境和非人的待遇，但他依旧对前途充满了希望。然而母亲的逝世却让他陷入了深深的痛苦。他比之前更想要逃狱，然而一次次的失败，和监狱长的无情，让他的路越来越难走……
　　本片获奥斯卡最佳男配角奖。

Two retired insurance salesmen have been visiting the scenes of accidents and crimes, feeling that they have a responsibility to learn why such things happen. One of them has found an aggressive, hostile woman whom he considers to be a prime candidate for a personal disaster. On a blisteringly hot day, the two follow her as she does some shopping, and watch as she antagonizes several persons. After some discussion, they decide to take a chance on helping her, and they go up to her apartment to talk to her.

导演是伊利亚·卡赞，取材于约翰·史坦贝克的作品，是圣经中该隐和亚伯故事的变异，演变成一部十分深沉有力的家庭伦理电影。故事讲述第一次世界大战前的加州，一名聪明伶俐而多愁善感的农家青年，由于一直得不至严厉父亲的爱，故意想法打击天真的双胞胎弟弟，把母亲未死而沦为老鸨的真相揭露出来，最后导致家破人亡的悲剧。

Satan's School for Girls is set within the grim walls of Fallbridge College for Girls. Hoping to learn the truth behind the "suicide" of her younger sister, Beth Hammersmith enrolls in Fallbridge under the assumed name of Karen Oxford. Our heroine soon learns that the school is in the clutches of a coven of witches called "The Five" -- and that she herself has the right satanic qualities to enable The Five to take over the world