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 33 wins & 39 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	...	Dark-Haired Advertising Agent
Martin Sööder	...	Blond Advertising Agent
John Nordling	...	Account Manager
Maja Gödicke	...	Marketing First Assistant
Nicki Dar	...	Nicki

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.

---

Plot Keywords:

modern art | condom | performance art | social satire | stockholm sweden | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

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 USA

Language:

Swedish English Danish

Release Date:

25 August 2017 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Квадрат

Filming Locations:

Gothenburg, Sweden

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,233, 29 October 2017

Gross USA:

$1,502,347

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,494,054

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

Ruben Östlund said in Cannes, "Anything can happen in a movie when suddenly a monkey appears in an apartment. Everything should have a monkey in it."

---

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.

---

Quotes

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

---

Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2018)

---

Soundtracks

Downbeat
Performed by Jon Ekstrand, Carl-Johan Sevedag

User Reviews

Satirizing the Cultural Elite

Director Ruben Ostland has followed up his 2014 Golden Globe nominee Force Majeure with Cannes Palme d'Or winner The Square. The film is both a satire of the cultural elite of Stockholm and a sad commentary about the separation between individuals both within circles and between circles. The lead character, Christian (Claes Bang), is the curator of a museum of modern art that seeks to draw attention and donors through avant-garde exhibits and over-the-edge social media campaigns. The film follows Christian through a few weeks of his life when one of the hot new exhibits is "The Square", an actual square in the museum courtyard that is meant to be "a sanctuary of trust and caring." But rather than show trust and caring, the movie The Square raises a number of troubling questions: How thin is the veneer of civilization? Can political correctness substitute for empathy? Is art whatever a curator chooses to put in an art museum? And enveloping these questions is the separation of the circle of Stockholm's cultural elites from the City's homeless and immigrant population, as well as the separation of individuals within the City's cultural elite. One set piece in particular portrays the inability of the Stockholm's elite to communicate on a human level: It is Christian's meeting with Anne (Elisabeth Moss), a publicist, the day after a night of sex—and a bizarre argument over what to do with a used condom. In this scene Christian is totally unable to say the needed words about what had happened between them. (Anne, an American, comes across as much more able to relate to others than any of the Swedes in the movie.) Another memorable scene is the one in which a banquet for museum donors is interrupted when the performer (Terry Notary), playing an ape, goes out of control. The diners, who are initially frozen by their need for decorum, or perhaps by their need to display political correctness, ultimately go ape themselves. Perhaps not a total surprise since the same donor diners had earlier stampeded their way to a luncheon in a lighter scene. There are many sub-plots in the film—some satirizing interactions within Stockholm's upper class, others between classes— perhaps leaving some viewers displeased by the way the film jumps without warning from one set piece to another. Others may dislike long stretches of art-film inactivity in many of the episodes—something that explains why the movie lasts for 2 hours and 22 minutes. Nevertheless, The Square does capture the alienation of modern society, and does it with plenty of dark humor.