在这部丑陋的美国人剧情片中,这部充满人性省思的政治影片，是改编自威廉李德（William J. Lederer）与尤金波迪克（Eugene Burdick）合著的同名小说，听说这本小说是促使甘乃迪总统成立海外和平部队的幕后推手。
乔治．英格鲁德执导。美泰合作开发高速公路遭共产党挑拔停工，并因沙卡人死亡而导致泰国境内暴动。美改派麦奎（马龙．白兰度饰）出使泰国，麦与当地革命英雄狄扬（冈田英次饰）为多年好友，狄扬主张沙卡由沙卡人自己作主，并反对首相昆西之独裁而广得人心。麦奎不满狄扬反美并误以为狄是共产党的一派，而苏俄、中共与北沙卡却极力拉拢无条件支持狄扬。昆西向麦奎告白，狄扬其实并非共党，只是受共党利用将遭刺杀，并愿与狄扬合作促成民主，但是狄扬还是遭到不幸，临终前令手下与昆西合作共求民主。本片在越南情势动荡时推出，颇见其现实意义，在表现人物心理活动上的描写十分细致，主题曲也颇能震动人心。
An intelligent, articulate scholar, Harrison MacWhite, survives a hostile Senate confirmation hearing at the hands of conservatives to become ambassador to Sarkan, a southeast Asian country where civil war threatens a tense peace. Despite his knowledge, once he's there, MacWhite sees only a dichotomy between the U.S. and Communism. He can't accept that anti-American sentiment might be a longing for self-determination and nationalism. So, he breaks from his friend Deong, a local opposition leader, ignores a foreman's advice about slowing the building of a road, and tries to muscle ahead. What price must the country and his friends pay for him to get some sense?
