Delicatessen: More than just a butcher shop, it's a system?

Okay, so I finally got around to watching "Delicatessen" last night. I know, I'm late to the party, but sci-fi with a side of…uh…human meatloaf, isn't exactly my usual jam. BUT, the world-building in this thing is subtly insane, and that's what got me hooked. It's not your typical post-apocalyptic wasteland – it's like society just shrunk down into this single apartment building controlled by the Butcher. I was thinking about how the Butcher operates. He's not just some psycho killing for kicks (though he's definitely got issues). He's providing a SERVICE. He's controlling the population, rationing a rare resource (meat), and maintaining order (kind of). It's a messed up, cannibalistic mini-state. And Louison, the clown, he's not just a love interest, he's an outsider, a chaos agent who threatens the whole system. The way he tries to "fix" stuff, it's like trying to use 21st-century logic in a world where piano wire and meat cleavers are the only currencies that matter. That scene where he's trying to oil the bed springs made me literally lol. My theory is that the Butcher didn't create this situation, he adapted to it. Something catastrophic happened (we never find out WHAT, which is awesome), and he just figured out how to exploit it. He's not evil, per se, he's just… practical. And the tenants participate because, well, what choice do they have? They're basically trading resources for survival. It's a dark commentary on scarcity and the human need for structure, even if that structure is built on, uh, questionable ingredients. I think the film intentionally leaves a lot of details vague, but that's why I love it. It let's my imagination run wild, trying to figure out how this bizarre little society came to be. Anyone else have thoughts on the broader context? Maybe even speculate on what the initial cataclysm was? I'm all ears!