THE SQUARE
Sweden, 2017, 151 minutes, Colour.
Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, Terry Notary, Christopher Laesso.
Directed by Ruben Ostlund.
The Square won the main award at Cannes 2017. It is the work of the provocative Swedish director, Ruben Ostlund, whose initial films were somewhat experimental, arthouse films which led to wider appreciation with Involuntary and then, internationally, with Force Majeure.
This is a long film, focusing on an art manager, his character, his private life, his professional life. On the personal side, he has a chance encounter with someone who is injured and there are quite some consequences for him, especially from the son of the injured man. Some humanity is required of him.
On the professional level, he has to interact with those responsible for an art exhibition, with the journalist with whom he has a relationship. He also has to deal with potential patrons.
The title refers to an art work, a particular space, behaviour within that space.
There is a highly dramatic sequence which features on the publicity for the film, a gathering of patrons, a meal, a dramatic performance by an actor as a gorilla.
Which means then that there are many themes throughout the film, much provocation, more than enough material to reflect on.
1. Awards? The appeal to audiences? European? Beyond? The tone, the humour, the satire?
2. Swedish sensibilities, the work of the director, his irony, humour and parody, over the top? The effect?
3. Stockholm, the museum and the actual Square, apartments, apartment blocks and stairs, offices, press conferences, the Museum, exhibition spaces? The dinner? The art world?
4. The insertion of art theory, the Museum, the question about the placement of an object and becoming art or not? Art in cinema? The setup of the interviews, the technical aspects? Commercial aspects? Promotion and plans? Raising attention in 10 to 20 seconds? The video and the girl being hurt as promoting the art? The dinner, the gorilla, threatening? The actor and his performance as the gorilla?
5. The Square, the knocking down of the historic statue, creating the smaller Square, illuminated, Latin American artist, the ethos of the Square and the demand for help from anyone in the Square?
6. The credits, the people walking throughout the city, everybody preoccupied on phones, the request to save a life and nobody noticing, the girl, screaming, pursued by the killer, Christian and the man stopping him? The aftermath? Christian being robbed and not getting any help? The reaction to being robbed, the phone and the GPS, Michael at the computer tracking the location? The decision to write the letter, delivered to all the dwellers in the apartment block? 13 floors? Michael and Kristian arguing about the delivery, minding the car, the threatening men? The message to take the phone to the 7/11, collecting it, the second phone call? The boy, going to Michael, his accusations, wanting an apology, that his parents thought he was a thief? The pursuit, falling down the stairs? Confronting Christian, the arguments, ultimately Kristian phoning the boy and apologising?
7. Kristian at the centre of the story? His job, his expertise in art, his background? Administration? His apartment, his getting ready? The encounter with Dan, the interview? Flirting, the invitation to her, spending the night? His son and the story? His experience of the Square? The crowds, online, the stealing his wallet, trying to help, talking with the man, the discovery, trying to get help and everybody ignoring him? At the office, Michael, the table on the wallet? The writing of the letter, going by car, Michael staying with the car, Christian delivering the letters? The collecting of the wallet? The second message? The encounter with the boy, his determination, the accusations? His later phoning him in the sequence of his apology and his motivations?
8. The office discussions, the promotion of the exhibition, the two young men and their plans for the video? The board meeting, the man with the baby? The secretary and her eagerness? The later meeting, the idea for the advertisement, the girl and the violence?
9. Christian and his range of friends and associates, Julian, the promotion of the exhibition? Meetings?
10. The press conferences, the response of the press, Kristian on the steps, the reaction to the exhibition?
11. The significant dinner sequence, the wealthy guests, the meal, the purpose of the dinner? The arrival of the league, his connection with Art? His performance? The brute? On the tables? The confrontation of the guests, the reactions, looking away, angrily responding, his ousting some of them? The overall impact of this particular sequence?
12. Christian, the effect of the experience? The future of the exhibition?
13. The background of art, the nature of art, true art, art and pretensions, pretentious public and sponsors? And the danger of the film being pretentious in its own way?
