Ruben Ostlund's 2017 film The Square is not a movie in the traditional sense. Rather, it uses film and cinematic techniques to examine a multitude of artistic and social constructs that may lay at the heart of numerous cultures and societies.

At heart a blistering satire and send up of a grab bag of concepts, the film eschews traditional narrative in favor of asking subtle but pointed questions through use of metaphysical and non-narrative devices. It is a film better appreciated than enjoyed, and one that lends itself to numerous conversations upon completion.

With all that said, The Square can be a dense and obtuse film, so join Jason and Ryan as they pick apart the meat and potatoes of what Ruben Ostlund's observations and messages may be, and offer various interpretations for consideration and further discussion.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Cold Open & Welcome
01:13 Description of Film
02:45 Jason's Initial Thoughts
05:22 Ryan's Initial Thoughts
08:43 Cinematic Language of Ruben Ostlund and The Square
13:44 Nature of the Social Contract Between Artist and Audience (if any)
28:00 How Would a Quicker Pace Affect This Film for Better or Worse?
40:36 Examining the Idiosyncratic Sound Design and Modest Score
48:11 Why Does this Film Choose to Make its Viewers Uncomfortable?
56:57 Examining the Tourette's Scene
1:05:57 Examining the Gorilla Man Scene
1:13:24 Interpreting The Square Exhibit
1:15:57 Acknowledging the Film's Technical Excellence
1:18:22 Final Thoughts
1:19:21 Like & Subscribe
1:19:50 3 Adjectives
1:22:00 Star Rating
1:26:13 Enjoy the Movies!

#moviereview #filmanalysis #filmcritic #filmcritique #thesquare #rubenostlund #filmcriticism

ABOUT OUR CHANNEL

Esoterica Cinema is the result of a great friendship between Jason Peters and Ryan Seybold. Having met in film school, both have since gone on to pursue their craft in various ways. Ryan actively works as a sound recording engineer, having been involved in numerous projects for nationally prominent companies such as ESPN and PBS, while Jason is a published author, screenwriter, and filmmaker responsible for a variety of works available online and elsewhere.

The program focuses not just on surface level observations, but gets down to the heart and soul of what makes a given film tick. Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Score, Sound Design, Narrative Structure, and Character Arcs are some of the many high-level and granular analysis provided on every episode. At Esoterica Cinema, we don't just tell you whether or not a movie is good; we go into detail on what makes it good or bad, educating and informing our audience along the way. Come join the fun and enjoy the movies!

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