Three women, a Hecate-like trinity with the same name and reflecting the classical three "ages" of Crone, Mother and (granted, sexually wanton) Maiden, find the men in their lives disappointing. Women, being emotional beings of primal water, seek fulfillment in that element, whereas men, being intellectual beings of primal air, spend their days quantifying things, typing memoranda or investigating plots. The three (four?) husbands are shown the error of their ways, literally being immersed in the watery primal element, and deprived of their more familiar air. The first is a philanderer, the second cold and insensitive, the third a threat to the sisterhood of the three, and the final consort one who attempts to control the trinity through blackmail, and ultimately finds himself the pawn of their sex.
The imagery, while lacking the lavish costumes of other Greenway productions, is still tremendously lavish. The scene from the bath, involving no more than fruit, insects and the foam on a bar of soap, creates a primal, evocative image of the natural feminine power of control while working through nature, the very power which threatens men to their core. It's beautiful, and while the plot may be straightforward, the underlying messages conveyed are sufficiently profound to keep one busy discussing the film for weeks after every viewing.
