The director used extremely rich metaphors in the film and used montage photography to create the expression technique of social violent films in the future. This is one of Paul Newman's most exciting performances, and other actors are also very prominent. The egg-eating scene and "What we've got here is a failure to communicate" have become classic scenes and classic lines.
The film is based on Don Pierce’s 1965 novel of the same name. The background of the story is set in the 1940s. After Pierce sold the film adaptation rights of the novel to Warner Bros., he was hired by the other party to write the script. However, due to his lack of experience in the film industry, Warner Bros. invited Frank Pearson to rewrite the script.
Newman’s biographer Marie Edelman Borden said that this "tough and honest" script gathered some of the characteristics of early movies, especially the other 1967 film "Wild Wolf" starring Newman. ". Roger Ebert called this an anti-institutional film, filmed during the Vietnam War. Newman's character endured corporal punishment, psychological abuse, and desperate blows, facing the same situation of former sadism and masochism. He influenced his fellow inmates and endured the torture like Jesus. Christian symbols were used in many places throughout the film, and the final outcome was like the crucifixion of Jesus on a cross. The film was shot in the San Joaquin River Delta, and the exterior scene of the Southern Prison Farm was set up in Stockton, California. The film’s creators also sent people to the Tavares Road Prison in Tavares, Florida, to take photos and take measurements.
