Isolated by the Japanese advance into Burma, Captain Langford, portrayed by Stanley Baker, and his weary British troops seize control of an enemy-occupied jungle village. Despite objections from an elderly padre, played by Guy Rolfe, and war correspondent Max Anderson, portrayed by Leo McKern, Langford makes the controversial decision to have Sergeant McKenzie, portrayed by Gordon Jackson, execute two innocent villagers. This ruthless act is intended to pressure a Japanese informant into revealing crucial information.
However, when the Japanese reclaim the village, their commander employs Langford's own desperate wartime strategies in an attempt to extract information from the British forces, creating a tense and morally complex situation.
