Stephane (Victor Lanoux) is the mayor of a small village. He is also the manager of the tannery which provides the inhabitants with work. In a fit of anger, he kills his wife (Edith Scob). A judge (Jean Carmet) tries to prove his culpability, but it's not an easy task, because there is a political and social pressure.

Le juge Fernand Noblet
Stéphane Bertin
Muriel Olivier, l'institutrice
Gaspard, le braconnier
Maurois, le représentant du personnel
Fréval, le patron du bar
Maître Demaison, l'avocat de Stéphane
Nelly, la belle-sœur de Stéphane
Debray, le responsable administratif de la tannerie
Le Curé Borie
Larsac, le racheteur potentiel de la tannerie
Varan, le député