Sexual overload?
Just my opinion, I think the director relied too heavily on explicit sexual scenes and implied sexuality. It detracted rather than added to the family dynamics that were intended to be the topic.
shareOn the contrary, sexual topics are a recurring theme in Imamura's films and it certainly makes a lot of sense why he chose to incorporate them into this story.
The sexual scenes are often intercut with animals mating or giving birth. This accentuates the instict driven way of life in the village, where survival and reproduction are two primary life elements. The element of tradition, as cruel as it may be, is what makes these characters more human.