This savage attack on the Senegal bourgeoisie and their eagerness to indulge in the vices of their former colonial masters is couched in terms of a hilarious sex comedy, in which Thierno Leye's political promotion coincides with his third marriage and the onset of impotence. His status and dignity crumble in the face of traditional curses and cures, and Leye becomes a symbol for outdated patriarchy, with its corruption, grandiosity and superstition. His wives, on the other hand, embrace diverse historical and contemporary influences, standing for the future. Reaffirming themes explored in Black Girl and The Money Order, Ousmane Sembene confirmed his reputation as a key sub-Saharan film-maker.

A rich businessman in Senegal is cursed with crippling erectile dysfunction upon the day of his marriage to his third wife; the only cure is brutal public humiliation.