On a second viewing, this film becomes less elegiac and more sinister. The social norms that few of its people question begin to seem less like adaptations to a harsh reality, than like sadistic celebrations of cruelty sprung from resentment. This mood is reinforced by a small sub-plot, in which a thief and his entire family are condemned in the worst possible way; the mood of community vengeance feels almost like a carnival.
As the film becomes disturbing, it also remains overwhelmingly sad. The central characters are good people caught up in a horrible society, and they have no options for escape or personal revolt. Even worse, the protagonist accepts the standards of her culture as good, and sees her looming fate as a pious act of sacrifice for family and community. The final speech in the film reinforces the continuity of custom: for these people, no matter how painful it might be, their way of life is the only way.
All in all: a film that offers piercing sadness and gorgeous colours, a terrible subtext and a beautiful surface. We need films like this one, but they can be hard to watch even as they dazzle the eye.
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