Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
The Square looks at the hard realities faced day-to-day by people working to build Egypt’s new democracy. Cairo’s Tahrir Square is the heart and soul of the film, which follows several young activists. Armed with values, determination, music, humor, an abundance of social media, and sheer obstinacy, they know that the thorny path to democracy only began with Hosni Mubarak’s fall. The life-and-death struggle between the people and the power of the state is still playing out.
Jehane Noujaim's documentary captures the Egyptian revolution with remarkable intimacy and visceral cinematography, placing the viewer inside Tahrir Square during historic moments. The on-the-ground footage is genuinely extraordinary, often shot at great personal risk, giving it a raw urgency rarely achieved in documentary filmmaking. However, the narrative structure is somewhat episodic and can feel incomplete, particularly the ending, which reflects the unresolved nature of events but leaves the film feeling inconclusive rather than purposefully open. The subjects are compelling and authentic, but as a documentary 'acting' is replaced by genuine testimony, which is earnest if uneven. While the Arab Spring subject was well-covered by media, Noujaim's personal access and perspective give it above-average distinctiveness without being wholly singular among revolution documentaries.