In this French film, Rose (Simone Signoret) is the pillar on which her family depends, and against which it pulls. These forces are held in equilibrium until a murdered woman's body is found near their farm, the Les Granges Brulees of the film's title. At first, Police Inspector Larcher (Alain Delon) feels that the evidence points to her youngest son. By the time everyone in the family is cleared of suspicion, long-buried truths about each of them will be revealed, and the family will never be the same again.