Christensen gives a great performance in the lead role as "Strong John," a man falsely accused of murder, on the run with his small son. Recaptured and imprisoned for many years, he plots a complex revenge. A social melodrama of guilt and redemption with masterfully constructed scenes of sophisticated suspense and artful cinematography, the film had an unprecedented eight months production time and was the most expensive Danish film of its time. The story, inspired by Les Misérables and written by the director, attempted to reveal the ineffective aspects of European prison methods and advocated reforms. At the American premiere Christensen was invited by the warden of Sing Sing prison to screen his film for the inmates-an interesting experience for the director on his first visit to the U.S.-Jytte Jensen