This movie is a lot of things.
It is a harsh critique of the japanese male oriented society, that not even once addresses that society directly - yet you come away under the impression that even the most hateable character here is more of a victim than a culprit.
It is a passionate hymn to what true friendship among women may be.
It is a tense treatise on emotions and human behavior in which all that is said is equally important to what is otherwise understood, in a way only a japanese director could film, and - maybe - only japanese actors (actresses!!!) could convey, as it is substantial to that society and its' unique ways.
It is a masterpiece in cinematography and acting, in that single scenes lasting a half hour long and built only on dialogue and body language are sustained with such a strength and inner tension that never once you would think to skip a single beat.
I had this movie on my watchlist for a while - a bit put off by its length -and was planning initially to watch it in two/three sittings... but I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for the entire five hours and fifteen minutes.
I didn't even scratch the surface of it. I'm in awe. This is Art.