The Square : United in the Fight for the Downfall of the Regime

“The Square” is a Netflix documentary by Jehane Noujaim set in Cairo, Egypt. The title refers to Tahrir Square, a major public plaza where uprisings during the Egyptian Revolution took place. The documentary features a two-year account of the lives and battles of the activists that participated in the ongoing movements. The film is mainly captured around three activists: Ahmed Hassan, movie star Khalid Abdallah, and Muslim Brotherhood member Magdy Ashour. It is a capturing story of the records of triumph with the downfall of Mubarak, and hardship as the activists continue to fight for freedom and the end of corruption. It is easy to sense the message of courage, determination, and unity of hundreds of thousands demanding change. The people recognize that before they are anything else they are Egyptian and they must put aside their differences in backgrounds and religious affiliations to overcome their less than desirable situation.

The Square is a great expression of the reality of the situation in Egypt, and does not refrain from displaying gruesome images of brutality from armed forces and their paid “thugs” that occurred during the revolution. While the images of brutality are those commonly discussed by news broadcasting stations around the world when talking addressing the Egyptian crisis, this film goes beyond by encapsulating the far more complex aspects of the revolution. From the beginning the viewer can gather that the issues are far more complicated in Egypt than imagined, and the problems do not end with Mubarak’s step down. The start of the divide between the citizens for and opposing the power of the Muslim Brotherhood and their interests are brought in to question during the film.

While this documentary is a great representation of the bravery and persistence of the activists involved, there are troublesome aspects. There is little representation of members of the Armed Forces or the Muslim Brotherhood, and those that are filmed are presented in such a way that a viewer with little knowledge of these groups could be persuaded that they are all evil and manipulative. There is also little displayed on the people that are opposed to the revolution, or the millions of people that support Morsi’s rise to presidency, making the total account of the situation in Egypt somewhat incomplete. It can be seen as biased in the fact that its main portrayal of the situation is only through that of young, liberal activists.

Overall, The Square is a good representation of the activist movement that gained power in 2011 and continues on today. It displays the resolve, optimism, and struggle for democracy that is a common theme found across the Arab world and beyond. The viewer should be aware of the somewhat one-sided depictions and intolerance that is revealed, so that they do not fall into the trap of polarization, which can undermine some of the most important revolutionary concepts that the people are fighting for. This documentary cultivates the question of the best way to balance the ideals of the people who are connected through their Egyptian nationality, but very diverse in other aspects of culture. The Square demonstrates that while the fight for democracy is an arduous and on-going process, when the people are united for a cause, they are a force to be reckoned with.