The film centers on a traditional romantic pairing between a circus clown and a butcher's daughter. It operates within a heteronormative framework without exploring non-cisnormative identities.

Gender is presented through a grim, patriarchal lens where the butcher acts as a dominant figure. While his authority is depicted as predatory, the film relies on traditional archetypes.

The cast is largely homogeneous, reflecting the isolation of a post-apocalyptic setting. The narrative focuses on socioeconomic status rather than ethnic or racial identity.

The film excels at deconstructing Western institutions and capitalism. It portrays a world where traditional morality and social orders have collapsed into a survivalist, cannibalistic economy.

Characters with physical eccentricities are used to drive the surreal, carnivalesque atmosphere. These portrayals lean toward the grotesque rather than granting characters genuine agency.