Ominous to say the least. There may be no better metaphor for the crowd vs. An individual than a man literally up a tree, terrified, and being shaken down. What did this guy do to warrant this treatment - did he commit a crime, or is he an outcast of some sort? As he is plunged down an endless chute and faced with a very difficult climb back upwards, scratching and clawing with each step, is this a statement on how punitive the justice system can be, leaving the chances for rehabilitation after prison very low? Or just a window into the struggle of the outsider, the "other" tortured by the mob? The sense of humanity, of any semblance of compassion, is lost behind masks. Terrifying and timeless, and yet clearly made for the time we're living in.
