THE SQUARE
Australia, 2008, 105 minutes, Colour.
David Roberts, Claire van der Boom, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes, Lucy Bell, Kieran Darcy- Smith, Brendan Donoghue, Peter Phelps, Bill Hunter.
Directed by Nash Edgerton.
The Square of the title is the courtyard for a building on a construction site which is about to concreted over during the Christmas- New Year week with some urgency on the part of the owner of the site (Bill Hunter) and the fact of injuries, foreman pressure, worker protests – and the fact that a body has been deposited there.
This film was one of those which received many nominations at the Australian Film Institute awards for 2008, including Best Film.
Most audiences like a solid thriller. They should be satisfied with this one. It is a story of murder, robbery and arson – but in a very local Sydney suburban situation. As the film opens, we realise that the manager of the building site (David Roberts) is having an affair with a young woman (Claire van der Boom) and that they are at pains to conceal it. Not a particularly new development. We watch him and his estranged wife, his dealing with the workers and his illicit rendezvous.
Matters become a bit more complicated when the woman discovers that her brother has a large stash of money and she puts pressure on the lover to steal it. The best plans certainly can go alarmingly astray and that is what The Square is about. It involves an arson plan that is more destructive than intended, the couple trapped in the power of a thug that they employ, double dealing and ambiguous messages from sub-contractors, especially since the site manager misinterprets messages and people are killed.
How can a seemingly ordinary middle aged man get himself into such a moral mess?
The film was co-written by Joel Edgerton who appears as the thug. It was directed by his brother, Nash Edgerton, who has worked as a stuntman. In piling up the mishaps, the film gains momentum with several twists.
1. An action thriller and personal drama? The use of the conventions of the thriller? Australian style? Idiom?
2. The city, the suburbs of Sydney, the building sites, homes, the waters, the bush? The highways and bridges? Real feel? The musical score?
3. The title, the square of the building site, the hole, concrete, the body concealed? The rain, uncovering the secret?
4. Raymond and Carla, control of their situation, loss of control, the consequences, mistakes, the dire results, destruction? A moral fable?
5. Ray and Carla and the affair, under the bridge, leaving, the secrecy, their room, clandestine meetings? The dog swimming across the water, the closeness of the two homes? Ray at home, offhand with his wife, the lies? The ordinariness of suburban life, the episode of the dog at the door, the Yales’ dog?
6. Ray at work, the meeting with Gil Hubbard, tough, the irony of the revelation of the later scam? Barney and the kickbacks, the arrangements, cash, envelopes, deals? Jake as foreman? His suspicions, union rules, the break-in and Leonard Long stealing? The discovery of the truth, the car chase, the crash, Jake’s death, Ray rescuing the baby, taking it to hospital, and being seen as a hero?
7. Greg, at home with Carla, his hiding the money, Carla discovering it? Greg and Smithy’s mate? Leonard Long? The deal with the money, mutual suspicions?
8. Leonard Long at work, the repair of the part, Ray’s reaction, the appointment at the hairdresser’s with Carla, his stealing the part, spying on them? The threat, the fight, his being killed, Ray disposing of the body?
9. Greg and his search, the threats, to his mate, concerned about Leonard and trying to find out what happened, visiting his house? Suspicions on Carla, the confrontation, the wrong bag?
10. Carla and the money, her plan, Carla changing the bags? Persuading Ray to steal the money? The contact with the thief? The meeting in the restaurant, his girlfriend and her keeping tabs? The payment? Ray and his changing his mind, the phone call, the woman not being able to stop the thief? Her denying that Ray had rung? Ray’s return, threatening the woman, her confessing to the thief? The stealing, the fire in the house, watching it from the party on the hill? The death of the woman inside, the repercussions? The thief and his threats?
11. Ray and the cards, the blackmail, suspecting the thief, the woman? Barney and his scam, his relationship with his wife, the affair with the receptionist, his boasting, his being found out? The police, their questioning Ray about Leonard Long’s disappearance? The officer and his being with Gil Hubbard, the confrontation and the demands on Ray?
12. The theme of the dog, swimming across the water, the dog’s death?
13. The community, the celebration of Christmas, the carols, the firemen going to put out the fire, the search in the ruins of the house? The police and their interrogations?
14. Carla and Ray, his delay in leaving, the final decision to go, with the money, the thief’s arrival, his demands, Greg’s arrival, the shootout, Greg’s death, the wounding of the thief? Ray’s fight with the thief and the accidental shooting of Carla?
15. Ray walking away, completely destroyed? What does it profit to gain the whole world…?
