Brute Force

In the bleak and unforgiving Westgate Prison, inmates live under the tyrannical rule of sadistic Captain Munsey (Hume Cronyn), who manipulates them to inform on one another and create trouble. Big Joe Collins (Burt Lancaster) leads a desperate escape plan, fueled by his anger and desire for revenge against those who wronged him, including fellow inmate Wilson, whom he kills in the prison machine shop with an alibi provided by the doctor. As the prisoners' stories are told, their love for a woman is revealed to be what landed them in trouble with the law, highlighting the desperation and hopelessness of life behind bars.