Film: Triangle of Sadness (2022)
Posted on: 2023-09-02Links
Discussion
Note: Spoilers!
I ran across this movie on kanopy. I had never heard of the movie and had no particular prior expectation.
To cut to the chase I really liked it. Loosely it could be described as a story around class conflict in three acts. The film starts with two influencers who end up on a cruise for the super rich. The yacht in the end sinks and the survivors are have to learn how to survive in a somewhat inverted society. Now the "toilet manager" since she can capture food becomes the captain.
I have seen a review of the movie that criticized the film as it "targets rich people who are easy targets". I think critique largely misses the point. Like Parasite (2019) it has for more broad and interesting things to say. Triangle is probably a little more clumsy than Parasite, but is also much funnier albeit somewhat gross in places. The criticism is missing is the nuance and originality of what the film is trying to say. For example in a film like Elysium (2013) there is class struggle, but when boiled down is really just a good guys and bad guys division.
Triangle sets up a variety of situations that are entertaining and thought provoking. It certainly isn't a good/bad split on wealth. Most characters have some kind of flaw. One of the scenes that I thought was insightful, was near the start of the movie where a seemingly nice wealthy lady is sitting in a hot tub talking to the young woman crew member. On one level they might be having a meaningful or enjoyable conversation, but there is also a power dynamic there - the crew member is there to amuse the older lady. The older lady talks about how the crew member should relax and enjoy herself. The crew member murmurs something like that would be nice. She then suggests the crew member join her in the hot tub. The crew member doesn't want to, but can't say no. The lady insists and then later insists all the staff should go for a swim. The pandering leads to the whole staff actually going for a swim. Some staff might enjoy the break. Others might not want to go swim. Is it enjoyable to be forced to do something, even if normally you might like? Or when your busy and have to get things done (like the cooks in the kitchen), how is it helpful to be interrupted, when you still have to do all those things? From a position of entitlement this is largely invisible. Is the old lady getting off on her power? Is she trying to do a nice thing? Is she for whatever reasons not aware of the repercussions, but would be upset if pointed out? We don't find out. In many ways it doesn't matter. Perhaps she can't be blamed too harshly in that if as wealthy person you are surrounded by pandering people then that's the main thing you know. Or perhaps she should be considered harshly after all the isn't considerate of the constraints or desires of the people around her - she appears to just assume and that's part of the problem.
What to make of the influencers? At the start there's this amusing sequence where the boyfriend points out his girlfriend seems to be manipulating him into paying for diner at a fancy restaurant. Later on the yacht the boyfriend gets irritated when his girlfriend flirts with a crewman. He brings it up with a staff member and the crewman is immediately sacked. Later still when stranded on the island, the "toilet manager" decides she would like the attentions of the boyfriend, which he does for food and sleeping benefits.
On one level they are shallow, which is a predicable trait and trope. On the other hand it's not easy to know what to say about them. At the start of the film the girlfriend seems (and even claims) to be manipulative. By the end of the movie the boyfriend seems weak and craven. The girlfriend in the end does find a way out of the situation with the help of the toilet manager. Has she matured? Why does the toilet manager help? Is the girlfriend being proactive, or just manipulative and cynical?
In summary, I really liked the movie. It explores similar dynamics to Parasite. Parasite is arguably the better movie, but Triangle is more laugh out loud funny. I don't think there are many movies that do a good job of exploring class conflict. Arguably would could do with more.