In the opening optical credits, the lead actors are billed only by their characters, not their actual names.
The opening credits include the following statement after describing the past harsh penalties at Devil's Island. "Of purely fictional material, this story pictures that time, now past. A modern understanding of penal administration had brought a change. Today humanity makes easier the burden of correction. For modern France is committed to the task of remaking men. . .not breaking them." It is unclear whether this disclaimer was written before or after the protests about the film from the French government, although it seems likely, given the wording, that it was after.