"Triangle of Sadness" directed by Reuben Ostlund How was the Inferno dinner scene created? [Director's Interview Vol.284]

Why use comedy to express poignant social criticism?

Q: What does the original title "Triangle of Sadness" refer to?

Ostlund: This is a term used in the beauty industry. A friend of mine sat next to a plastic surgeon at a party, and the doctor looked at her and said, ``You have a deep 'triangle of grief.'' I could fix it with Botox in 15 minutes.'' I heard that the doctor was talking about wrinkles between the eyebrows. In Sweden, it is called the ``Wrinkle of Trouble,'' and it indicates how many troubles you have in your life. I thought this was an episode that expressed the obsession with looks in modern society and, in a sense, how spiritual fulfillment has been put on the back burner.

Q: Your works, including this one, are called "satire comedies." This is because he makes fun of people and society and captures their essence, but why does the director choose the genre of ``comedy''? What kind of effect can be achieved by making it a comedy?

Ostlund: Well...I have to tell you a story I heard from a friend. When I was flying from Venice to Toronto for a film festival, I was on a plane with people from the industry, and everyone said, ``Drama'' refers to art house productions that deal with important topics. I mean, we're talking about something serious. However, my friend seemed to be wondering, ``What kind of movies do people in the industry watch on planes?'' So I was observing what kind of movies they were actually watching, and it turned out that they were all watching comedy movies with Adam Sandler (lol). Of course, it's not that Adam Sandler is bad. That's how much comedy has the power to influence people.

"Triangle of Sadness" Fredrik Wenzel © Plattform Produktion

Of course, I think we should make movies that we ourselves want to see. However, you can't make a movie saying, ``This movie is high art, it's noble,'' and those kinds of movies won't actually be seen. At times like these, I realize that there are risks to the European film system. Films are often made with subsidies from the government, so (the filmmakers) can be financially secure. However, because of this, there is a risk of thinking that ``it's financially safe so there's no need to have it seen by a large audience, or even if it doesn't reach that audience.'' This creates more and more distance between the creator and the audience.

That's why when I made ``What Happened in the French Alps '' (2014), ` `The Square '' (2017), and now ``The Triangle of Sadness'', I always tried to ``make it a movie that I would want to see.'' I cherished it. I didn't want to do anything that would change the way we make interesting movies. That's because I want all my films to be fun, thought-provoking, and thoughtful. And, of course, I want it to be a movie that people can talk about after watching it. There are many things you need to accomplish. However, I believe that creating that kind of experience and making it into an enjoyable movie can go hand in hand.

Reserve ``Triangle of Sadness'' now↓

ⒸTobias Henriksson

Director/Screenplay: Ruben Ostlund

Born on April 13, 1974 in Sweden. His feature debut, The Guitar Mongoloid (2005), won the International Federation of Film Critics Award at the Moscow International Film Festival. All of his subsequent feature films have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, making him the third director in history to win two consecutive Palme d'Or awards at the same festival. The short film ``Incident by a Bank'' (2010) won the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. For ``Prey'' (2011), he won the Scandinavian Council Film Award, the most important award in Scandinavia.

Interview and text: Takatoshi Inagaki

Writer/editor. In addition to writing a wide range of film reviews, columns, and interviews, mainly focusing on foreign films, he also works as an editor for web media. He has contributed numerous articles to film pamphlets, magazines, books, web media, etc. He also does research and consulting for domestic stage productions.

"Triangle of Sadness"

Thursday, February 23rd (holiday) TOHO Cinemas Hibiya and other nationwide roadshows

Distribution: Gaga

Fredrik Wenzel © Plattform Produktion