Is it him, or ME?
People are being way too judgmental of Gilliam and it is only because of their own discomfort.
Yes, a lot of scenes in the movie are weird and even grotesque.
It's okay for you to feel uncomfortable.
It's NATURAL.
Everyone KNOWS that none of us have considered these situations... and no one has an EZ morality template that fits exactly and allows any fool to pass final judgement.
Our comfort zones are challenged and we are asked to consider uncomfortable situations.
Some folks like a challenge and see potential for growth and some people are offended and consider the same challenge an affront.
I too, for a moment, wanted to blame Gilliam and judge him for it. Even though that little girl lived through some bizarre situations and was able to maintain innocence, strength and dignity; even though the character was remarkable, as well as the performance, I couldn't get past the 'challenging' scenes and questioned why Gilliam had included them.
He sure did a good job of giving ME an opportunity to grow.
I was repulsed by certain scenes and then immediately ashamed at how quick I was to JUDGE people in situations that I had never considered; people dealing with loneliness and ignorance that I cannot even comprehend; marginalized, forgotten people that circumstance has pushed to the fringe.
It's NOT Gilliam, or even the characters in the movie that I was judging, but myself.
FEW may understand what I'm saying, but there it is.