"Steel Fist" is an anti-communist film about life behind the Iron Curtain in Europe. It also marks one of Roddy McDowell's first films away from his familiar MGM studio and one of his first adult roles. And, unlike his earlier films, it was made by the less glamorous Monogram Studios.
When the story begins, there is a student protest at the local university in some unnamed communist bloc nation. Since free speech is NOT allowed, the government is intent on rounding up the students and imprisoning them. One of them, Eric (McDowell), manages to escape and the rest of the program consists of him trying to sneak across the border to freedom....with help of the local underground.
While some might think this anti-communist film is some sort of knee-jerk McCarthy era Red Scare flick, it is rather realistic. Students or anyone speaking out in such nations were imprisoned, placed in mental institutions or killed...there simply was no free speech. As a retired history teacher, the history shown in the film is realistic. However, I only gave it a 7 mostly because McDowell was rather wooden and uninteresting...which is odd since he was an amazingly good actor. I think it was just teenage growing pains and he soon began making better stuff and showing his acting prowess in later (as well as earlier) pictures.