The film was noted for its explicit sexual content, including teratophilia (attraction to monsters), upon its initial release.

[2] Businessman Philip Broadhurst dies and leaves his estate to his daughter, Lucy, on the condition that she marries Mathurin, Marquis Pierre de l'Esperance's son, within six months.

Rammaendelo, who is not in favor of the marriage because he is dependent on Mathurin to look after him, shows her a book that describes the beautiful Romilda's fight with a beast in the local forest 200 years ago.

Lucy comes across several drawings depicting bestiality and becomes sexually excited at the thought of her impending marriage, even though she has never met Mathurin.

Rammaendelo cannot get through to the Cardinal on the telephone, so Pierre sends a telegram, assuring him that Mathurin has been baptized and urging him to attend this evening.

Lucy retires to her room, undresses, puts on her thin wedding dress, and dreams that she is Romilda, playing the harpsichord.

She loses most of her clothing in the process and ends up hanging by her arms from a branch, and the beast sexually assaults her and masturbates.

Pulling his clothes off reveals that he is covered in thick black hair and has a tail, indicating that he is a descendant of Romilda and the beast.

In the UK the BBFC refused to classify a heavily cut version for general cinema release, and the same cut print narrowly avoided prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act by the Director of Public Prosecutions when it was shown with Greater London Council approval at the independently run Prince Charles Cinema in London in September 1978.