The Square (2017)

A prestigious Stockholm museum's chief art curator finds himself in times of both professional and personal crisis as he attempts to set up a controversial new exhibit.

Director:

Ruben Östlund

Writer:

Ruben Östlund

Stars:

Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 27 wins & 36 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Claes Bang	...	Christian
Elisabeth Moss	...	Anne
Dominic West	...	Julian
Terry Notary	...	Oleg
Christopher Læssø	...	Michael
Lise Stephenson Engström	...	Daughter
Lilianne Mardon	...	Daughter
Marina Schiptjenko	...	Elna
Annica Liljeblad	...	Sonja
Elijandro Edouard	...	Boy with letter
Daniel Hallberg	...	PR Guy
Martin Sööder	...	PR Guy
John Nordling	...	Account Manager
Sofie Hamilton	...	Robber
Robert Hjelm	...	Robber

Storyline

Christian is the respected curator of a contemporary art museum, a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next show is "The Square", an installation which invites passersby to altruism, reminding them of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes, it is difficult to live up to your own ideals: Christian's foolish response to the theft of his phone drags him into shameful situations. Meanwhile, the museum's PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for "The Square". The response is overblown and sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis.

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Plot Keywords:

modern art | condom | performance art | art | con artist | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some strong sexual content, and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook [UK] Official site

Country:

Sweden Germany France Denmark

Language:

English Swedish Danish

Release Date:

25 August 2017 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

A négyzet

Filming Locations:

Gothenburg, Sweden

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,233, 29 October 2017, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,502,347, 22 March 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Plattform Produktion, Arte France Cinéma, Coproduction Office

Technical Specs

Runtime:

151 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The crowd Oleg was taunting in the dinner scene, throwing water over and pushing around, were in fact drawn from the actual ranks of Sweden's 1 percent, including some of the country's wealthiest art patrons ("They were so into it," Notary says).

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Goofs

During the press conference, the time displayed on Christian's LCD watch is clearly visible and jumps from 14:53 to 15:50 when we cut to a participant who asks a very short question.

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Quotes

Christian: The Square is a sanctuary of trust and caring. Within it we all share equal rights and obligations.

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Connections

Referenced in Filmbarátok Podcast: Episode #1.131 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Minor, BWV 1068: II. Aria (Arr. For Voice Ensemble)
Performed by The Swingle Singers

User Reviews

A strange, uncomfortable and fascinating look at society

This is a hard film to describe and an even harder film to review but I'm going to try my best to express how I felt about it.

In an attempt to put it simply, The Square follows a modern art museum curator named Christian (played by Claes Bang), and some increasingly strange experiences which shape his views and understandings of the world he lives in and the people around him.

I had the chance to see this film on opening night at the New Zealand International Film Festival, and I am so glad I did. The Square plays like an increasingly bizarre farce, and while the film is indeed very funny (sometimes in shocking ways) it provides a consistently fascinating look at our behavior as people in society. Now I realize that isn't necessarily innovative for a film in 2017, but that said, The Square dares to pose increasingly uncomfortable questions to its audience.

From the inherent narcissism of even the most ordinary of people, to the shallowness of popular culture, to the complex behaviors and interactions between people of disparate backgrounds. Again, these ideas are not necessarily novel, but the film presents them in a way that is consistently entertaining - even when certain exchanges on- screen are uncomfortable. There is a scene that takes place at a gathering of elite artists and sponsors that is as squirm-inducing as anything I've seen all year. I also must point out the constant use of dead-pan humor with verbal and visual gags throughout as one of the film's secret weapons.

I would warn that this is not a film for everyone. The pacing is uneven, the structure is unusual, and there isn't a whole lot of forward momentum to propel the film forward. But, if you are willing to meet the film halfway, I think you're in for a fascinating, shocking, hilarious and uncomfortable (skewered) mirror into the society we live in.