Sophie is employed as a "maid" by the Lelièvre family. Her work appears to be highly appreciated but she soon has to cope with small comments and hurtful behaviour from her employers.
The shot/reverse-shot, a seemingly banal editing device, is very skilfully used by Chabrol. This device, which puts two parties face to face, aptly expresses the class struggle espoused by the filmmaker, but it is also used to suggest an ambiguous process of identification.
