Snakes?

I thought the snakes were representative of the sexual abuse Lis experienced in the theatre as a child, the symbolic use of snakes as "bad penis'" if you will is suggested several times in the film... The shot of the men with a baby doll stabbing a hole in its genitalia area and then trying to force snakes into it is one example.

I also believe her "Paralysis" was just a mental extension of the same. She could walk as a child but after the abuse she was "crippled" physically as well as mentally. I have to believe if Lis could stand, which she did when forced to, she could still walk.

The cart is also symbolic of that abuse in that Lis was chained to it both metaphorically and literally later on in the film. She could not function without it. Some abuse victims I have encountered base their whole existance around the incident of the abuse, it becomes their vehicle and their stumbling block because they can not get past their issues and therefore end up founding their existance and perspectives upon it. They need help to release this horrible heavy burden, sometimes they can not do it by themselves. After all that is what a cart is for - to help carry heavy burdens. And what did Fando do for most of the movie? - push the cart because he loved Lis dearly. When he did carried her on his back they formed an cross symbolizing perhaps that Lis was Fandos' cross to bear, or more probably Lis' condition was the cross to bear and Fando was helping her carry it...

Lis standing frozen amidst the area of filth covered writhing bodies in the mud pit must be how she viewed sex - very dirty, very scary, very dark. It was such a small area why did'nt she leave it of her own volition? Fando was trying to force her to walk, he definately made her stand on her own two feet, but she was helpless and stood there crying till Fando came back and helped her. There was one female entity in the mud pit which I think gave some insight on Lis' sexual mindset.

Later in the film when Fando is dressed as a woman by the trannies and Lis is dressed in Fandos clothes as a man It is only then she became sexually aggressive and made advances romantically towards Fando I believe it was because she felt "safe" with another female... It is interesting to note that they did this willingly and were not coerced in any way, they were smiling and seemed to be enjoying it...

Fando was carrying his on set of baggage...

I believe Fando was trying to help Lis when he made her remember her assailants (the scene on the cart were the three guys from her past were being encouraged to "feel her up") he wanted to prove to her the men in her past did not matter to him and should not be a barrier to her loving him in a physical, sexual, natural way. He was even making her crawl in hopes of ultimately getting her to walk, such a horrible scene, so many times when trying to help a person in the wrong way the assisstance becomes abuse again...

I think Fandos drum represented his dreams, his male ego, his hope and once this was lost he became without control and perished Lis in a fit of rage and there by weirdly enough, freed her from her bondage.

Very symbolic, very sad.

The dog and a flower? - still thnking about it.

I have always considered a flower to be the best example of true beauty. They are imperfect, so fragile, so temporary. I think what was represented here by the flower was Fandos' perception of Lis. He found her beautiful, imperfect, fragile, temporary. Lis stated throughout the film she was going to die - no great prognostication there, we all are, but she seemed to know it was coming soon.

A dog is supposed to be your best friend no matter what. Fando is perhaps represented as a dog, a baser creature although loyal still capable of biting the one it loves...

Such a sad beautiful film.

I have not watched the commentary so I probably got it all wrong...