“The Square” by Ruben Östlund – Our Review

“The Square” crashes into the elitist world of modern art

I would never have thought after leaving the projection of “The Square” that this film would have won the Palme d’Or. And yet I already felt compelled enough to give it my personal Palme. I liked the previous film by Ruben Östlund “Snow Therapy”, where he dismissed the idea of “politeness”, or”benevolence” that we take for granted. He continues with this explosive theme in the square


The victim this time is the world of contemporary art. He attacks it on several fronts: such as the discrepancy between what a work denounces (with finesse, brutality, humor, shift, provocation …) and the very conventional aspect of all those who lean on contemporary art (curators, directors, journalists, critics…). The film does not stop there, it dissects our good feelings, our received ideas, our absurdities. It also shows this preconceived idea that we have of Scandinavia.

Originally written in French by Philippe Mathieu

Cast & Crew:

  • Director: Ruben Östlund
  • Production: Josefin Åsberg
  • Script: Ruben Östlund
  • Actors: Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, Dominic West, Terry Notary
  • Editors: Jacob Secher Schulsinger, Ruben Östlund

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