In this melodramatic polemic against the hazing of young recruits -- especially one racially different recruit -- in a fictitious Carolina Military Institute, director Franc Roddam reveals increasingly vicious levels of abuse as the story progresses. Adapted from a long novel by Pat Conroy, the tale is shortened to focus on the travails of Will (David Keith), a senior student confidentially charged with making sure that the initiation of the young Afro-American Pearce (Mark Breland) does not get too violent. Yet that is exactly what happens, and Will becomes alarmed when it seems like someone is out to kill Pearce. He knows there is a secret group called "The Ten" who exercise an unseen control over weeding out cadets they do not want, for one reason or another. As Will's dangerous investigation into the identity of these ten people continues, with the reluctant help of some of his friends, corruption and a cover-up at the top seem like an increasingly certain scenario.