When the movie was announced as the winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, with the jury declaring that it was an unanimous vote, the audience, who expected Il cielo sopra Berlino (1987) to win, booed when the director Maurice Pialat was on his way to the stage to receive the award. Pialat's response to this was to raise his fist, replying: "If you don't like me, I don't like you either".
This is the third filmed adaptation of a Georges Bernanos novel. The first two were Il diario di un curato di campagna (1951) and Mouchette: Tutta la vita in una notte (1967) both directed by Robert Bresson.
Director Maurice Pialat replaced the actor playing Gallet twice during filming. The role was first played by Claude Berri and then Jean-François Stévenin, before Pialat settled on Yann Dedet, also the film's editor.
The first French film to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival since Un uomo, una donna (1966), 21 years prior. It would not be until 2008 when the next French film won the Palme - La classe (2008).