Abstract: In his transposition of Mirbeau’s play, Dréville made choices owing to the shift from theatre to cinema, from the stage, a limited and enclosed space, to the possibility of multiple settings, both indoor and outdoor. Thus he replaced the high society dinner by another “topos”: hunting with hounds. This hunting scene appears to be, on the whole, crucial for the understanding of the symbolic significance of the movie, shot under the Occupation.
