  Over a noetherian local ring certain minimal finite free resolutions possess
a property which we call stiffness. This calls to mind the Buchsbaum-Eisenbud
criterion for exactness. Yet we only prove stiffness over equicharacteristic
rings. However, Hochster's Canonical Element Conjecture is shown to be true for
every ring with a fixed prime residual characteristic, precisely when every
resolution over each Gorenstein ring of this type is stiff.
