This is a truly strange film and yet so rooted in the human experience. I understand why it won awards, and, the Oscar nomination for Best Make Up is definitely warranted, but, I think the strangeness alienates its audience from the themes and even from its artistry. I knew nothing about this film going in, except that it had an Oscar nod, so I was not prepared for the reveal nor the specific sexuality that transpires. However, it is brilliant in its treatment of "otherness" and the moral choices that are still personal, even when one has survived the worst kind of social abuse. The film's use of myth to dissect social and personal themes was rather brilliant, if very hard to watch. The film deserves an 8 (grand themes) out of 10 but I don't know if one enjoys this film. [Thriller, Drama, Myth]