‘The Square is a sanctuary of trust and caring. Within it we all share equal rights and obligations...’
Swedish director Ruben Östlund is making waves in Hollywood at the moment following the huge success of his eat-the-rich fable Triangle of Sadness. I hadn’t heard of him until that film, but it impressed me so much that I have delved back into Östlund’s filmography and based on The Square, I may have to go back further still…
Christian (Claes Bang), a prestigious Stockholm museum’s chief art curator, can’t catch a break. In attempting to publicise a new exhibition (the titular ‘square’ – ‘a sanctuary of trust and understanding’ as the marketing loftily proclaims) he inadvertently finds himself at the centre of a PR storm. His phone and wallet (and his grandfather’s cufflinks) are stolen following an elaborate heist on a busy street in broad daylight. A one-night stand with Anne (Elisabeth Moss) turns into something much more difficult. In short, he’s struggling. For the viewer, Christian’s travails are both excruciating and hilarious and it is this dichotomy that provides the narrative thrust that results in The Square being so compelling – even at two and a half hours long.
Östlund has already demonstrated how adept he is at writing and directing long, ambitious set pieces. The vomiting scene in Triangle of Sadness is worth the admission fee alone. The Square is no different featuring several scenes that could stand alone as short films such is their length and competence. The problem is that the moments between the key scenes often feel like stepping stones rather than their own thing, but when the acting is so good it barely matters. Claes Bang is mainly known for playing villains in stuff like BBC’s Dracula and the dark comedy Bad Sisters. Here, his character is ambiguous although his charisma and humour ensure that the audience is rooting for him despite his indiscretions. Elsewhere, Moss steals every scene in which she appears and Christopher Læssø also excels as Christian’s cowardly assistant.
The Square is an ambitious film, and not everything comes off, but there is no denying that Östlund is a unique voice on the cinematic landscape and it’ll be intriguing to see where he goes from here.