The scenario is based on a true story, the "Affaire Elf" political and financial scandal in France.
Claude Chabrol was inspired by the affaire Elf and Judge Eva Joly for the film. Judge Joly criticized the film as "a small theater of morals, which reinforces everyone in the immobilism", reducing the investigation to "a series of clichés" and felt that Claude Chabrol had violated the privacy of her private life, it was added during the promotion of the film: "sordid and erroneous details about [her] personal life".
This is the 7th and last film in which Claude Chabrol worked with Isabelle Huppert, one of his favorite actresses.
Four Chabrols worked on the film: Director and co-writer Claude Chabrol, his screenplay-supervisor wife Aurore Chabrol, and his two sons: composer Matthieu Chabrol and actor Thomas Chabrol.
Visa d'exploitation en France #111353.