The Rules of the Game ending explained

What happens

Schumacher, hunting Marceau in the dark, mistakes André, wearing Octave's borrowed coat, for him and shoots André dead. The Marquis calls it a regrettable accident, and the guests are reassured. The death is absorbed into the party.

The last image

On the steps of the house, the Marquis addresses his guests and a guest admires his fine bearing, as if nothing has happened.

What it says

The ending shows a society that protects appearances above people. André dies for being sincere, yet the rules close over him within minutes. The film ends this way to show the order survives by agreeing to look away, without naming a villain.