: The film intentionally obscures the line between Chieko’s drug-induced daydreams and the "real" events occurring in the surgery.
The film’s focus on obsession, power dynamics, and the "aesthetics of shadows" is deeply rooted in the literary style of . Tanizaki’s work often features characters who find intense sensation in "strangeness" and "eccentric behavior," themes that Takechi translates into the film’s sado-masochistic sequences and clinical voyeurism.
: The dental surgeon functions as a central figure of clinical sadism, embodying a blend of professional authority and sexual predatory behavior.
