Force Majeure, the previous film by the director of The Square, is centered around a cowardly act. When an avalanche hits a ski resort, a man flees leaving his wife and children behind and that sets in motion a series of events that made a pretty effective and darkly comical family drama.
But in his latest film, Östlund has more ambitious plans; This time he wants to show us all things that are wrong in the Swedish modern society and presumably by extension the whole Western world. In this crusade, he touches on our indifference about marginalized people, modern art, millennials, our obsession with safe spaces, sexual politics, parenting and the list is long but behind all of that there seems to be a similar lament: people has lost the courage to stand up for themselves and others. Cowardice is the modern world's biggest sin.
Whether Östlund is up to anything with his grand theory of everything is up for debate, but what is interesting is that the Cannes festival organizers eager to find a prognosis for the apparent malaise of their continent, decided to overlook the often didactic tone of The Square and reward it with their highest prize.
But in his latest film, Östlund has more ambitious plans; This time he wants to show us all things that are wrong in the Swedish modern society and presumably by extension the whole Western world. In this crusade, he touches on our indifference about marginalized people, modern art, millennials, our obsession with safe spaces, sexual politics, parenting and the list is long but behind all of that there seems to be a similar lament: people has lost the courage to stand up for themselves and others. Cowardice is the modern world's biggest sin.
Whether Östlund is up to anything with his grand theory of everything is up for debate, but what is interesting is that the Cannes festival organizers eager to find a prognosis for the apparent malaise of their continent, decided to overlook the often didactic tone of The Square and reward it with their highest prize.
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