Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Square Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 28, 2018

Ruben Östlund's "The Square" (2017) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon/Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive cast and crew interviews; casting tapes; making of featurette; and more. In Swedish and English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Some get it, some don't

People like the character that Claes Bang plays in Ruben Ostlund’s new film, The Square, are amongst us but spend the overwhelming majority of their lives in a different time and space. They are wealthy and “properly educated”, cultured and fully aware of their intellectual superiority. They have strong opinions that have shaped up their entire system of values which makes it possible for them to determine what is right and wrong. They are the conventional “winners” that modern European democracies can’t get enough of.

When forced outside of their habitat, however, the same people tend to act like abandoned puppies. They instantly lose their survival instincts and struggle to find their way, become dangerously irrational, and eventually panic. But after the foreign experience they very rarely go back to reexamine the exact conditions that had made them feel so miserable. They usually go through a very emotional recovery process and at the end always conclude that the fix that would prevent a second similar experience is to expand their natural habitat -- if they can control everything that they perceive as different and jeopardizes their world view, then they are not only safe but become the moral referees that always have the final call on what is right and wrong.

Bang’s character, Christian, is the managing director of a famous museum in Stockholm that is supported by an impressive number of very wealthy donors. His primary role is to legitimize the museum’s financial investments in different art projects and make sure that the donors feel good about the ways in which their money is spent. Because the art projects are frequently very unconventional -- or flat-out bizarre -- Christian has to be very creative when he promotes them before the public and validates their value. However, after years on the job he is like the ultimate used car salesman and people agree with his statements even when he literally praises a few piles of dirt. But a new project called “The Square” that promotes social engagement and a strange theft change everything. First, a colleague convinces Christian to travel to a working-class suburb and do something rather foolish to recover his stolen phone, and then a viral video posted on the museum’s official page uncharacteristically forces him to defend himself against a large group of angry reporters. On top of this, a high-profile event that is attended by many of the museum’s donors also evolves into an utterly bizarre spectacle.

The first reviews that came out last year’s edition of the Cannes Film Festival created the impression that Ostlund had directed a film whose scathing satire of European elitism was almost, and possibly even every bit as, brilliant as the one that is channeled through Marco Ferreri’s La Grande Bouffe and Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita. Unfortunately, it is clear now that not only were the reviews overly enthusiastic, but in some cases quite misleading.

The film is essentially a large mosaic of random events whose main goal is to highlight the supposedly troubling disconnect between the habitat in which people like Christian exist and the other reality where everyone else resides. Christian’s unusual experiences are then carefully used to deliver examples of just how bad things really are.

The really odd thing about this film, though, is that after the satire ends it declares that the logical way to restore balance is to encourage mutual acceptance. Think about this message. The fix isn’t to study and mend the system that is producing clueless but opinionated individuals like Christian that have the social power to transform a country like Sweden into a whacky circus, but embrace them and then endorse their solution for the crisis.

The Square Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Ruben Östlund's The Square arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon/Artificial Eye.

The release is sourced from a spectacular master. I did not attend a theatrical screening of this film, but the visuals are what I would consider"reference material". Of course this isn't too surprising as the entire film was shot with the Arri Alexa camera and this is the type of quality that the Arri series currently ensure. Indeed, detail, depth, and clarity are outstanding, while density is as good as I have seen on a contemporary production. Colors are natural and with terrific ranges of nuances. Image stability is excellent. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Square Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Swedish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Swedish LPCM 2.0 (with portions of English and Danish). Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The film has a fully digital soundtrack, so I assume that the 5.1 track replicates the original production mix. Depth, clarity, and fluidity are exceptional. Separation is also rather impressive, though this is a film without any potent action sequences. The dialog is very easy to follow.

The Square Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Square. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Slideshow - a gallery of production stills. (3 min).

• Casting Tapes - presented here is raw material from the casting sessions that Ruben Östlund did with various cast members. In English and Swedish, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (5 min).

• Making of - in this featurette, Ruben Östlund discusses the production process and is then seen addressing the lensing of different sequences. In Swedish and English, with imposed English subtitles. (12 min).

• Interview with Ruben Östlund - in this video interview, the director of The Square addresses the origin of some of the awkward contrasts that are highlighted in the film, the evolution of Claes Bang's character, current social developments in Sweden and how they affected the conception of the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Interview with Claes Bang - in this video interview, Claes Bang explains how he was cast to plat the role of the museum curator, and discusses his acting philosophy and what it was like to work with Ruben Östlund, the shooting of the press conference scene, etc. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Interviews with Ruben Östlund, Claes Bang, and Elizabeth Moss - presented here is footage from interviews that were conducted at the Cannes Films Festival in 2017. The bulk of the information addresses the production of The Square and Ruben Östlund's working methods. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

The Square Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is not exactly surprising that after many decades of peace and prosperity the wealthy Scandinavian countries are beginning to discover that the equilibrium that their social models built and protected is collapsing. It was inevitable because instead of choosing pragmatic leaders they frequently embraced radical ideologues that over time dramatically altered many of the socio-political and cultural values that defined them. The effects of this ongoing process are perhaps most obvious in Sweden, where the push toward multiculturalism has created a very awkward environment of frequently striking social contrasts. Ruben Östlund's latest film, The Square, was apparently meant to satirize the cultural elitists that are partially responsible for the current status quo in Sweden, but after mocking their detachment in some rather bizarre ways it actually ends up promoting the idea that they need to be embraced and trusted to restore balance. Needless to say, I think that the film completely misses the mark. Curzon/Artificial Eye's technical presentation of The Square is outstanding and there is also a good selection of informative bonus features. If possible, RENT first.