根据真人真事(欢镜听、张春雷等)改编。作为描写中国大陆看守所里在押犯的故事，电影以在押犯人黄敬廷被安排为临刑前的死刑犯代写遗书的情节为主线，反映铁窗内众囚犯不同人物、不同心理、不同人生观的冲突，打破了中国大陆关于此题材的诸多禁忌。通过于现关有大批在押犯的监狱实地拍摄的生活体验和积累，影片冷静真实地再现了囚犯铁窗生涯的众生百态，折射出对生与死、罪与罚、自由和囚禁的的思考。

　　A small-time crook in China's maximum security prison is assigned the dubious task of recording the last wishes of the death row inmates scheduled for execution. Surrounded by men who are immersed in desperation, his close encounters with the condemned criminals shows him the darkest side of humanity. But he finds romance with the beautiful female prison radio station announcer, despite the watchful eyes of the wardens and the threat of execution hanging over her.