Days after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Tank Williams (Julian Mayfield) is an unemployed and itinerant steelworker who turns over his militant friend, Johnny (Max Julien) to the police for the $1,000 reward, resulting in an underground all-points bulletin to exact vengeance on the squealer.

Legendary director, Jules Dassin's unrelenting directorial pace is complemented by the driving score of Booker T. Jones.