The Square is a Swedish foreign language film set on the
narrative of a Stockholm art curator setting up a new and controversial exhibit at his museum.
The film follows the
curator as he goes through a handful of professional and personal obstacles as the new exhibit
is being unveiled to the public.
The Square touches on themes relating to the privilege given to
people in positions of power in society as well as the increasing levels of arrogance,
selfishness and altruism we as a collective society display in our everyday lives.
Synopsis
The main character of The Square is named Christian. He’s a man who loves his art, drives an electric car, claims to back good causes and is a bit of an entitled jerk. So, you could say he’s a grown up version of your typical corporate hipster.
As a curator at super-liberal art museum, Christian usually
looks to work on projects that are more “out there”. Projects that are made to
grab people’s attention, which have profound meanings behind them.
His latest project titled “The Square” quite rightly fits the bill. It’s a bold installation that reflects on how people in our global society lack compassion for one another.
His latest project titled “The Square” quite rightly fits the bill. It’s a bold installation that reflects on how people in our global society lack compassion for one another.
However, as Christian and his arty team are working with a
PR agency to release media teasers of the project, things begin to get
complicated.
A series of events occur both at and away from work that have him running around the city like a headless chicken.
One such event includes his personal belongings being pick-pocketed on the street. As the story of the film unfolds, he sets himself on a mission to get his things back peacefully. But as things begin to pile up on him, his peaceful attempts begin to become more hostile.
A series of events occur both at and away from work that have him running around the city like a headless chicken.
One such event includes his personal belongings being pick-pocketed on the street. As the story of the film unfolds, he sets himself on a mission to get his things back peacefully. But as things begin to pile up on him, his peaceful attempts begin to become more hostile.
The remainder of the film follows Christian as he works to
create a buzz around the new installation. While battling his personal issues
that eventually, turn into an obsession of catching the thief who, in Christian's eyes, is responsible for all of his other problems.
We see Christian exhibit altruistic and
selfish characteristics as he ironically continues to work on a project on the same
issue.
How will the public receive the installation? How will it all end? That’s for you to find out.
How will the public receive the installation? How will it all end? That’s for you to find out.
Important Themes
As stated earlier The Square focuses on a story speaking to how we are becoming less human and more ignorant to how we treat and view others in broad society.
Today we live in a connected world where you have all the
tools to see what is going on in the world and where you can get information at
the click of a button.
Things have advanced so fast in the past decade that television, radio and newspapers have become relatively obsolete when it comes to how we obtain our knowledge, news and events.
Things have advanced so fast in the past decade that television, radio and newspapers have become relatively obsolete when it comes to how we obtain our knowledge, news and events.
However, said information revolution has led to many
people across the world distancing themselves from the human aspect of news.
In other words, people see and hear about things happening around the world, but
fail to view the human impact stories have on people.
This has led to many living lives with significantly less empathy, selflessness and compassion for others.
This has led to many living lives with significantly less empathy, selflessness and compassion for others.
In The Square, Christian and his team
focus on their installation based on in a “square” someone is being mistreated and no one outside of the exhibit can do anything.
Those passing by the installationg are just like people in real life who choose to ignore problems that don't effect themselves. Unless a solution in helping is marketed to them online as something like "YOU can help save someone with our charity that makes you look like a good person".
Those passing by the installationg are just like people in real life who choose to ignore problems that don't effect themselves. Unless a solution in helping is marketed to them online as something like "YOU can help save someone with our charity that makes you look like a good person".
In doing so, The Square also touches on an important topic
of the falsehoods of many ‘good’ charities and
supporting ‘good causes’.
For example, the turn of the millennium saw an NGO phenomenon and another phenomenon of Westerners travelling to developing countries to have ‘valuable experiences’. Usually including visiting impoverished villages, trying to build schools or attempting to teach orphan children 'valuable life lessons’.
For example, the turn of the millennium saw an NGO phenomenon and another phenomenon of Westerners travelling to developing countries to have ‘valuable experiences’. Usually including visiting impoverished villages, trying to build schools or attempting to teach orphan children 'valuable life lessons’.
As ‘cool’ and as ‘uplifting’ as that might sound, the vast
majority of people who take part in said ‘experiences’ tend to do it for
themselves.
Which has led to the rise in 'poverty tourism' becoming popular across the African continent. Where Westerners travel impoverished areas, taking pictures of themselves in slums, all in the effort to show other people in the West that they care about other people.
Then afterwards going back to their own lives, without a care or desire to actually do any meaningful work for people they visited in the first place. All without even taking part in efforts with local governments to fix actual problems that need sorting out. Rather than just high-fiving orphans like a white-saviour.
Which has led to the rise in 'poverty tourism' becoming popular across the African continent. Where Westerners travel impoverished areas, taking pictures of themselves in slums, all in the effort to show other people in the West that they care about other people.
Then afterwards going back to their own lives, without a care or desire to actually do any meaningful work for people they visited in the first place. All without even taking part in efforts with local governments to fix actual problems that need sorting out. Rather than just high-fiving orphans like a white-saviour.
Conclusion
Overall, The Square is a pretty enjoyable film. I found the storyline to be unique and I liked how the film had so much underlying irony to it (something that I enjoy with Scandinavian dark comedies).
The film constantly went forward to almost always pointing out the falsehoods behind the main characters actions.
Depicting him as a person who puts up a front of always caring about people and being a very conscious person, only to find out that he himself is just as guilty of being apathetic.
I also particularly enjoyed the marketing aspect seen through the PR agency, who tried to use to ‘strategically’ unveil the installment to create a buzz around it. And how that in itself also contradicted the message the project was supposed to convey.
The Square is a film you should definitely watch. I was very
impressed with how the narrative unfolded and how much it made you think.
Go on, add it to your watch list. Don’t be surprised if it
becomes one of your new favourites!