An interesting feature for the 1961 film (released in the US as The Passion of Slow Fire ) could center on its exploration of the transference of guilt and the psychological disintegration of the "ordinary man".

: The story transposes Simenon's American setting to the cold, puritanical atmosphere of Geneva, Switzerland . Use high-contrast black-and-white cinematography to emphasize the "aseptic" and overly-ordered life of the protagonist, Stéphane Blanchon (Jean Desailly), before it is shattered by the murder.

: Despite its modest budget, The New York Times praised it as an "impeccable" and "persuasive" adaptation that strips its protagonist's soul bare. The Passion of Slow Fire (1961) - IMDb