Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s new film Triangle of Sadness delivers a film of the year that questions and criticises society by
using the fashion landscape as a playground where models and elites are being conditioned to act as puppets of society.
The film follows two young influencers who are invited on a luxurious yacht, not yet knowing it will completely change their lives.
The title of the film emphasises how it is trying to mock a single imperfection by incorporating a mindset that everyone can be
replaceable at the top of the pyramid. This is demonstrated in the opening sequence where Carl (played by
Harris Dickinson) is taught by a casting director that cynicism masked as optimism is the core of the fashion industry.
Everyone is fascinated with certain labels that indicate personal values and morals. Östlund focused on sociological experiences throughout his films, and decided to put his characters to the biggest experiment it could happen. This is what happens when your status is at stake and how to hold up to your reputation by avoiding conflict.
This satire’s stunning cinematography and meticulous casting invite us to gain a deeper awareness of our emotional and psychological nature and give us chances to uncover those patterns of behaviours we unconsciously rely upon to generate a sense of safety and security.
The director puts his characters in intensely uncomfortable situations, where there is no specific recipe for how to act. Rather it is an ongoing experiment that is trying to uncover the true nature of people. The film is exactly the opposite of what you might first think of and it leaves you speechless.
The Palme d’Or winner is a hilarious satire on the wealthy and capitalism. It is mad and anything but subtle. The film itself is aware of this and performs a loud satire that delivers a captivating story and proposes questions about how to make fun of every aspect of capitalistic society and patriarchy.
Triangle of Sadness is about total madness, a hilarious satire that pushes all boundaries of societal expectations and prejudices.
Triangle of Sadness is currently showing at the Glasgow Film Theatre.
Featured Image Credit: Neon (distributor)
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