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 32 wins & 38 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
Maja Gödicke
Nicki Dar

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

Language:

English Swedish 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, 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

In one scene, a man with Tourette's syndrome yells at a reporter. Östlund said this was inspired by a true incident at a Swedish theatre, and was depicted without fear of insensitivity, since he said all people are satirized in his work.

---

Goofs

In the closing titles of "The Girl With A Kitten" clip, the Hebrew version is wrong: the English noun "square" appears in Hebrew as "an open space in a city" rather than "rectangle with all sides equal").

---

Quotes

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

---

Connections

Featured in 75th Golden Globe Awards (2018)

---

Soundtracks

Shinai
Performed by Curbi

User Reviews

Clever and insiteful yet fun

The wealthy director of an art musuem is the central character around which various problems arise. Much of the film is a clever and astutely observed series of events which illustrate how political correctness has warped into impossible dilemmas for good and honest people, and how the simplicity of life has been removed to be replaced with a bizzare hipocracy which uses political correctness simply to persecute others. I'm making it sound heavy and political, but it isn't.. this is done through humour and well set up scenes. Maybe a film more appealing to intellectuals, but not at all boring and dry. Indeed I was laughing out load so many timea because I could relate to the craziness that modern society has become. It's also subtle and well told, for example where he asks if his children want to draw with crayons (both too old for that) and when he asks why not, they just shrug, but both are concentrated on their mobile phones. A very original and enjoyable film though uncomfortable in parts. Indeed it did feel like an art exhibit itself because of its ability to produce emotion and social commentary without directly stating it.