Although the story features barracks and legionnaires,with two exceptions,the main characters are not soldiers.Although it takes place in North Africa,it's not the usual Légion Etrangere stuff,like such works as Duvivier's "la Bandera" or Jacques Feyder's "Le grand Jeu" .In fact the screenplay is rather modern:a distraught Olcott(Barrault) comes back from the desert.His partner has been killed in mysterious circumstances .It seems that it is a native's crime.The dead man's wife arrives and tries to know the truth while continuing his business.It seems that some scenes are missing: two and even three characters' motives remain very obscure:the school teacher 's(Lefèvre) ,the second lieutenant's and the merchant 's parts are not clearly depicted.Jean-Louis Barrault gives a tormented performance,sometimes verging on madness.