The One Man Band (1970): Dictatorship in Tights?

Okay, so I finally got around to watching "The One Man Band" (1970) – yeah, the one about the ballet director, Evan Evans, freaking out because a dancer leaves. I went in expecting maybe a light, fluffy comedy, but I came out feeling kinda… disturbed? I mean, the film is *supposed* to be a satire of artistic ego, right? But Evans comes across as less a caricature and more of a borderline tyrant. The scene where he forces the remaining dancers to rehearse for hours on end, pushing them to physical and emotional exhaustion, wasn't funny. It was genuinely uncomfortable to watch. The way he manipulates them, plays on their insecurities...it's chilling. And the thing is, the movie doesn't really grapple with the ethics of his behavior. It just sort of… presents it. Is it trying to say that great art requires great sacrifice, even at the expense of human well-being? Or is it simply pointing out the absurdity of artistic obsession without making any larger judgement? I'm honestly not sure, and that ambiguity is what I find both fascinating and unsettling. There's a scene where one of the dancers breaks down crying during rehearsal, and Evans just coldly tells her to 'channel that emotion into her performance'. Its like he sees the dancers as instruments, not people. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but I think "The One Man Band" is actually a dark commentary on power dynamics within the artistic world. It throws into sharp relief the potential for abuse when one person has absolute control over others, even if they claim it's all 'for the art'. Anyone else feel this way? Maybe I'm just being too sensitive. Also, side note - the costumes are horrendous. Seriously, what *was* with all that neon? But that's another discussion, lol.