Initially a twenty-four reel film, von Stroheim’s exploration of adultery focuses on a suave and libidinous European (posing as a Russian count) who charms and deceives an American diplomat’s wife. Von Stroheim, the writer, director, art director, and star of the film, fused his characteristically baroque sets with the moral depravity and perversity of his character. Although the film’s length would be reduced through a number of successive cuts, its psychological complexity and realism remain. To ensure visual reality, Stroheim insisted that an exact replication of the casino, hotel, and the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo be built on the Universal backlot.