The Depression forms the backdrop for a harrowing tale of a man's wrongful imprisonment, escape, and fated return. Few Hollywood feature films of its era succeeded as this one did in portraying the mechanisms of the real world as overpoweringly surreal. The depiction of a Georgia chain gang, with men in striped uniforms chained together, their backs striped also with whip marks, have lost none of their power with time. In this Library of Congress print, the rich chiaroscuro effects achieved by LeRoy and his cinematographer have been meticulously restored. In these visuals Paul Muni's haunted, sculptured face functions as an element in itself.