The Square
Directed by Ruben Ôstlund
Sweden/Germany/France/Denmark | 2017 | Fiction | 142 min | Swedish/Danish/English w/English subtitles
Film Source: Magnolia Pictures
Awards/premier festivals: Cannes – Palme d’or
Sponsor: Middlebury College
Also showing Sunday, October 22 at 7:15PM
Ruben Ôstlund is not afraid to tackle Big Ideas in his Palme d’Or winner. Among the themes of this satirical film: how we live together, our responsibility toward one another, and, in the context of the art world, what is artistic merit. As in his previous film, Force Majeure, Ôstlund uncannily dupes us into initially stereotyping the players (the character played by Elizabeth Moss is but one example) and then, one stealthy script page turn after another, undermining our assumptions. As you laugh at the performance-art scene in the museum, so will your laughter grow into unease, and you may find yourself questioning not only the art patrons’ reactions but also your own. This is one scene you will not forget, and this is one bold film. ~OY