This is the first French film dealing with unjustified death sentences for alleged refusal to obey orders by military courts; after Stanley Kubrick with „Paths of Glory“ (USA, 1957), Joseph Losey with „King and Country“ (GB, 1964) and Francesco Rosi with „Uomini contro“ (I, 1970) dealt with this difficult topic.

With "Le Pantalon" director Yves Boisset addresses a topic he devoted himself to earlier: an individual crunched by an institution, it can not escape. Concerning his protagonist he says: "Neither does Bersotnot act on political motives nor he is a rebel... He obeys to every order is ready to courageously, almost heriocally, throw himself into battle. But as an individual he opposes stuipidity and injustice". Yves Boisset has reputation for taking on taboo topics. So "Le Pantalon is the first French movie to deal with those soldiers that served to "make an example". The decrees of August, 2nd and September 6th, 1914 installed in a addition to the court martial a "Special court", that gave judgements on crimes against "order and peace". Their verdicts could not be revoked. To make example by executing was a wide-spreed pratice to "improve the soldier's discipline". Therefore the Bersot case was not an exception. Bersot was rehabilitated by the Supreme Court in 1922. His name was subsequently engraved in the war memorial of the village in which he was born, Saint Severin. His tormentor, colonel Auroux, was later promoted general anbd appointed chief of cabinet of war minister Nadré Maignot who also made him commander of the legion of honor.

For budgetary reasons the film was shot in Belgium. Boisset tried to create an environment as authentic as possible. In an abandonded quarry an entire trench system was set up and left in pace after the filming for demonstrations purposes for local school children.