British soldiers captured by the Japanese during World War II are forced to construct a strategic railroad bridge which a commando team is instructed by the British High Command to destroy.

In Singapore's Changi Gaol during WWII, Corporal King, a thoroughly unscrupulous and opportunistic American POW, makes shabby deals with the camp guards in order to make his confinement more comfortable. King delights in rising above his military rank and social class as he uses his streetwise tactics to "rule" over his fellow Allied prisoners and his Japanese captors

Kirk Douglas gives a fierce portrayal as Vincent Van Gogh, the artist torn between the joyous inspiration of his genius and the dark desperation of his tormented mind.