AllMovie

In this tightly crafted and detailed prison drama, set in the late 1920s, a murderer is placed in the same cell-block as three communists and, through his contact with the three men, comes to a heightened political awareness and an awareness of the human potential for bravery. He was put there as a spy for the authorities, and even though his cell-mates know that, they receive him with kindness. When conditions in the prison go from bad to worse, he discovers the power of their commitment to their cause.