The film stars Paul Newman as Murphy, a hard-drinking, lonely veteran cop, and Ken Wahl as his young partner, Corelli, both of whom work in a crime-ridden precinct in the Bronx.

Although Murphy's life takes a good turn when he falls in love with young nurse Isabella (Rachel Ticotin), the arrival of police captain Connolly (Ed Asner) threatens to tip the neighborhood's delicate balance into anarchy.

Author Tom Walker sued Time-Life Television, alleging that the film infringed on his book, Fort Apache, but lost after a lengthy court battle.

[3] Police officers face many challenges in the decaying, impoverished, high-crime South Bronx region of New York City.

Corelli and Murphy attempt to maintain law and order by catching pimps and robbers, but they have conflicts with a newly appointed police captain, Connolly, and corrupt fellow officers.

There is rioting due to alleged police brutality, as well as issues related to the deaths of two rookie cops who were shot by drug-addicted Charlotte.

Illustrating the futility of policing in the precinct, Charlotte, the killer of the two rookie cops, is never found, despite mass arrests and interrogations.

Murphy is heartbroken when Isabella dies from a drug overdose, and he wrestles with the moral question of whether he should maintain the "blue wall" and not inform authorities about the officer who threw the teen off the roof.

Murphy ultimately decides to resign and report the killing, a decision that will make other officers hate him and view him as a "stool pigeon".

[9] Variety labeled the film "a very patchy picture, strong on dialog and acting and exceedingly weak on story", and criticizes it for its lack of depth.

Among other things, Walker argued, "Both the book and the film begin with the murder of a black and a white policeman with a handgun at close range; both depict cockfights, drunks, stripped cars, prostitutes and rats; both feature as central characters third- or fourth-generation Irish policemen who live in Queens and frequently drink; both show disgruntled, demoralized police officers and unsuccessful foot chases of fleeing criminals."