sentences:  After the success of L'Herbier's previous film, "Le Carnaval des vérités", Gaumont allowed him more resources for his next project, and in the spring of 1920 he drafted a scenario based loosely on a philosophical short story by Balzac called "Un drame au bord de la mer".He said that he wanted to use again the sea of Brittany as a protagonist in a drama, an idea which he had explored previously in his scenario for "Le Torrent" (1917), but now to treat it more lyrically.He gave his story the title "L'Homme du large", and added the subtitle "Marine" ("seascape").