 Melville began filming without the rights to Vercors novel; when  Vercors heard of this, he met with Melville, who told him that if he  did not like the film, he would burn the negative. Melville was also  not in the screenwriters or directors unions and had difficulty in  employing people and getting distribution. However, the film was an  immense success, both critically and commercially and Vercors loved  it.