*The Square*

I didn’t like The Square at first, because I initially believed the filmmakers were taking the Swedes entirely seriously, and that it was pretentious windbaggery.  Instead, the main theme is that the Swedes are incapable of dealing with others who do not share their premises.  The film touches upon issues of immigration, gypsies, Muslims, terrorists, Putin, sexual liberation, contemporary art, YouTube, crucifixions over social media, how trust decays, and more.  It’s not “alt right” or objectionably racist (the Swedes and indeed the Westerners more generally are the real target), but most of all it is critical of mainstream liberalism and its inability to see outwards.  It won the Grand Prix at Cannes, but American critics have been quite indifferent, I would say oblivious.  It is hard to think of a current movie with more brilliant scenes, or that is more appropriate for 2017.  The deployment of Elisabeth Moss from The Handmaid’s Tale is mind-blowing.

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