Triangle of Sadness
This is a very unusual film that takes you on a strange, long journey.
The beginning itself is typical of Ruben Ostlund’s dynamic and direct filmmaking approach – he throws us into the middle of the fashion world where we are observers. The characters featured are young aspiring models, Carl and Yaya. We witness their competitive environment, their attempt to define their relationship, arguing about male and female roles, fighting over principles and their own identities and the value of money.
We follow them on a luxury cruise ship where they melt into the crowd. Suddenly we follow all sorts of passengers, the ship crew and below-deck staff. Social hierarchy is clearly evident in all interactions, and we soon realise that the passengers are all ultra-rich people who made their money in various ways.
Ruben Ostlund is a careful observer, a kind of social anthropologist who is very good at painting characters who stand out boldly against their surroundings. Dramatically moving from one person to the next, a lively fabric of the film is created, with composition and editing that are rich and frightening. Ostlund uses black humour and social satire to depict immoral, cruel, cowardly crowds, unscrupulous and hungry for money and power. When their social environment changes, they are able to regroup quickly, building short-lived alliances in order to survive and gain power at any cost. The ultra-rich and the below-deck staff alike.
There are many brilliant moments in this film – the conversation between the Russian capitalist and the American ship captain, a self-declared Marxist, is ingenious. A friendly elderly British couple, owners of a prosperous business that actually produces hand grenades and mines for minefields, is another brilliant vignette.
This film is the 2022 Palme d’Or winner, where it received a standing ovation from the audience. Ruben Ostlund’s fresh approach, depth and honesty with which he depicts the metamorphosis of modern society into a cruel money and power-driven world creates a truly unique film that should not be missed.
Find Triangle of Sadness on Kanopy
Marijana
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