The Square Documentary Review

Stars: 4/5 

Release Date:  2013

Genre: Documentary

Director: Jehane Noujaim 

Cast: Ahmed Hassan, Khaild Abdalla 

Plot

The Square is a documentary that follows a group of demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square as they document the ongoing Egyptian Revolution and the ensuing political unrest. Intimate portraits of the protestors who deposed Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and their fight for an Egyptian democracy are presented in the movie. The movie follows a group of activists who unite to demand justice and freedom, ranging from orthodox Islamists to secular liberals. They feel the joy of victory and the sorrow of betrayal as they take over Tahrir Square, as the military junta that takes over fails to uphold its promises of democracy.

Review

The Square is a thrilling documentary that puts viewers to the center of the Egyptian uprising. The film, which was directed by Jehane Noujaim, offers a distinctive viewpoint on the activities that took place in Tahrir Square throughout the Arab Spring. The Square's high caliber film shoots are one of its most notable aspects. The amazing cinematography perfectly conveys the craziness and ferocity of the protests. The audience is drawn into the action by the sensation of immediacy that is created by the use of close-ups and handheld cameras. Ahmed Hassan, a charming young guy who serves as the protesters' spokesperson, is one of the movie's most engaging characters. His interesting trajectory from optimistic adolescent to battle-tested activist sheds light on the human cost of political transformation. The Square has some flaws in spite of its advantages. The movie sometimes has the feeling that it lacks focus because there are too many competing plot lines. Also, some viewers might wish for more context and background information on the circumstances leading up to the revolution in Egypt. This is why I give this film 4 out of 5 stars. 

Outside Class Review

I found one user on rotten tomatoes who gave this documentary one and half stars. All they said was "a 100 minute anti-Muslim brotherhood piece. They give no insight into why they believe this; I tried finding another review with the same opinion but could not find one. I find this interesting since most people believe it spoke positively of them. I really wish they would've been more insightful with their review, I was hoping to see another perspective of the film.