The plot has striking parallels to that of a classical Danish novel, Brudstykker af en Landsbydegns Dagbog ("Fragments from a Parish-Clerk's Diary") by St. St. Blicher (1824).
The story concerns a boy who is made use of as a go-between by a young woman of wealthy family who is conducting an affair with a working-class man.
The cast included, among others, Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Margaret Leighton, Michael Redgrave, and Edward Fox. The screenplay was written by Harold Pinter. Music for the film was composed by Michel Legrand.
The film won the 1971 Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival.