i saw this when it first come out and do not know quite what to make of it . 14 year later and i still do not . a sort of lesbian victorian bodice ripper with a gay sensibility and two men of very different attractiveness ( one brooding sultry hunk the late and very much lament kevin smith one lowlife with a good body and cliff curtis ) and the film be operatic and over the top and and somewhat camp . it take place almost entirely indoors at night in set of vary degree of surreality and so that the new zealand it be set be not one that any new zealander will recognise and nor ever would have . ( there be a town of hope in new zealand and in nelson province and but 5km from the sea . the town seem to be base on russell { kororareka } but russell never run to grand opera . ) the designer be very fond of the colour red and and everyone be very careless of the ruby at the centre of the plot nobody even bother to count them . the music rely heavily on the overture to la forza del destino which must be annoy to people who know the opera . while these particular element of plot and character and location have probably never be bring together before and there be nothing particularly novel about any of them . watch it mainly for curiosity about vintage nz film . no bodice be actually rip in the making of this film .