故事發生在美國小鎮，墨西哥年青檢查官與愛妻度蜜月期間，發生汽車爆炸，當地老差骨認定一名嫌疑犯有罪，但年青的檢查官感事有蹺蹊，深入調查，老差骨怕案中案被揭，為求自保，遂把陰謀加害於年青檢查官的愛妻身上，爆發一場善與惡的偵探式對抗。威爾斯施以渾身解數力求做到雅俗共賞，開場一個經典長鏡更成為日後教材。影片於1958年獲邀參加布魯塞爾世界電影博覽會，獲當時任評判的尚．盧．高達和杜魯福高度讚揚，獲頒大獎。 Set in an American small town, a young Mexican attorney and his wife are car-bombed while on honeymoon. Though the local sheriff has already locked his target on a suspect, the young attorney's investigation probes deeper and discovers other hidden agendas; the sheriff plans to frame the attorney's wife in order to keep the secret in a high noon of good against evil. The film was awarded the grand prize in cinema at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair Film Festival and was lauded by Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut who were presiding over the jury. The opening long take has become another chapter in the cinema text book.

该片是名导演阿尔弗雷德·希区柯克刻意试验镜头的调皮作品，很多镜头都长达数分钟以上。其中一个自室外运动到室内，并且在十多名演员之间来回穿梭达十来分钟的长镜头，效果极度突出而引人入胜。褒曼如痴如狂的表演也十分精彩。 　　1830年的澳洲是英国流放囚犯的属地，一名英国青年（迈克尔·怀丁饰）随舅父到澳洲发展，与一对身份背景特殊的夫妇发生了一段纠缠不清的关系。