The opening scene is great. That first 3 minutes says so much about the movie. Darkness with the sounds of calm pastoral winds and birds interrupted by a harsh mining drill penetrating the ground followed its operators bloody death. Man rapes land, man dies.

There’s a great little 3 step dance in the first 15 minutes that sets up the mood and characters so nicely: Guto spies Gweirydd enjoying himself in the mirror, Cadi sees Guto huffing on a gas-soaked cloth, and finally Gweirydd catches Cadi really connecting with a painting. We don’t know what it all means when we first see it – but it all takes on meaning as we learn more about the characters.

At first I thought they were ticking off the seven deadly sins but now I’m not so sure. Gluttony and greed for sure. There’s some lust, wrath and pride too. Envy maybe, but I couldn’t find sloth.

I wanted more symmetry/meaning in the deaths. I liked that Guto got chopped with the same axe he was using to cut wood in the beginning of the movie. But I felt that Gwyn should have been the one killed with the hunting rifle (it would have been even better if he were hunted down). And Gweirydd’s death felt even more muddled. I get that it was connected to his prior crimes but it seemed that it should be more connected to the events shown in the movie.

Taylor, you mentioned a Welsh folk story about a woman made of flowers (Blodeuwedd). I think you’re right that it’s only tangentially related. However, the fact that Cadi chooses wildflowers for the dining table center piece and we see Glenda carry out her bidding once she changes into the flowered dress really grounds the movie in that folklore.

I loved how Euros (and c’mon, what a great name for a character epitomizing greed) was just eating and eating even before dinner even started, but when it did Mair didn’t finish her portion. It could have been a nice but not-too-subtle metaphor: take only what you need, don’t take just because you can. Unfortunately they kind of shove the metaphor down our throats by the end.

Finally, as an avid cyclist, I felt a kinship with Gweirydd as he was kitting up. All that changed when he wore cycling bibs with arm warmers but without a jersey (while riding on a trainer outside)! He deserved his bloody end for that sin alone!