Just as the royal court is celebrating the betrothal, they are interrupted by Baron Hughes le Cruel, a pretender to the throne, who demands the hand of Azurine.
The two barons fight briefly before Hughes leaves to consult a sorcerer, Alcofrisbas, who brings him in contact with demonic forces, including the Devil himself, Belphégor.
[2] In addition, many props and scenic elements were reused from other Méliès films, including the dragon puppet from The Witch and the mechanical snake from Rip's Dream.
[8] The film is paced more slowly than Méliès's earlier works, with more supernumeraries and more time spent justifying magical effects and stage machinery.
Zipes adds that the film may have autobiographical overtones, with the individualistic innovator Méliès attempting to defend his style from "the dark forces of corporate filmmaking.