An explosion of the usual myth of 1840s southern USA. The stoical and obedient slaves and demure southern belles were never a real truth and this film explores the violence and twistedness of society at the time, exploring the declining years of a slave-breeding family, whose slaves are treated not so much like animals as humanoids, their physical intimacy with the master-race total. It is the sheer absurdity and incongruity of the various women's roles in this crazy set-up which cracks the society wide open. Racism, violence and sexism make this a powerful, psychological, Victorian melodrama acted with enormous gusto.