The film was shown to the French press in December 1928 in a cut lasting about 3 hours and 20 minutes, however by the time the film had its first public screening in January 1929, producer
Jean Sapene had ordered the length to be cut by half, unbeknownst to director
Marcel L'Herbier and much to his and fellow filmmaker
Marcel Carné's dismay. Much later, the film was restored to a running time of 2 hours and 25 minutes.