There is no mistaking the film's anti-war message, but peer a little closer through the tall susuki grasses, in which the three main characters darkly conduct their business and pleasure, and you may also notice an altogether different kind of allegory. The vast, gaping pit at the centre of the story, fed by the strong and devouring the weak, serves as a metaphor for the insatiable hunger that drives capitalism.
Anton Bitel
September 11, 2005