First hand footage of the one of the most important political events in these times.All I can think is that we're very lucky to have these images that reconstruct such a story: kids start an important revolution that is hijacked by an organized religious group and see, in front of their eyes and their martyr-like effort shattered dreams of a democratic forward-looking country.With many countries following suit and falling in the same traps, this is a history lesson being unfolded in front of our eyes. The flickering and bad cameras cannot minimize the pure gold that comes from the screens. It's like having footage from the bastille or of the Russian revolution.A must see.A cautionary tale for all revolutionaries.

Himself - Revolutionary: "We're not looking for a leader as much as we're looking for a conscience . . . . If we are able to create this conscience within the society, we'll be able to find a good president."And so a revolution goes—not a coherent plan but a passion for democratic equality and justice. The Square squarely hits the historical details about the people's revolution in Egypt in Cairo's Tahrir Square from 2011-2013.As the Egyptian proletariat protest and dethrone President Hosni Mubarak, remove the military, and install Mohamed Morsi, nothing is as they wanted it. Each time, even now, produces another repressive regime while the people hope for freedom.Acclaimed director Jehane Noujaim (Sundance award for Startup.com) consistently shows the protesters' point of view, in a remarkably consistent tone that is neither preachy nor emotionally removed. She reveals the frustration of the revolutionaries, who willingly give their lives for their ideals but still end up imprisoned by the ruling elite, whom the revolutionaries were instrumental in installing.Noujaim does not make a judgment; rather she shows the complexities of the revolutionaries' motives and strategies without predicting the future. The doc puts in perspective the four major components: Muslim Brotherhood, ruling parties, military, and commoners, and emphasizing the irony of this review's opening quote. While seeking a conscience, Egyptians seem to miss the importance of a charismatic leader (Che Guevera? Abraham Lincoln? MLK? See above quote).Their quest for "conscience" exposes the weakness of the doc as well: Missing a compelling protagonist in a revolution and a documentary leads to a tedious repetition of events without the umbrella of a defining leader with an incendiary philosophy. But that imperfection leads to a realistic depiction of revolution, whose ideals Westerners can easily identify with:Himself - Revolutionary: "The leaders play on top. The people pay the price for everything. The people always pay the price."

I am writing this review on the documentary The Square. WHAT AN AMAZING FILM!! I really loved it I think they (Revolutionist) were brave people to fight for their freedom and speak their minds. The camera work was great just everything was very powerful. I feel that it got very intense when I got farther into the documentary and all the more exciting. I really liked it. It also was sad at times but I still loved it. I don't understand why this wasn't more publicly expressed. This should be an important part of history TWO THUMBS UP! Everyone should be required to see this film, this bravery, this story. "We are not in search of a leader...we are in search of a conscience."

A group of Egyptian revolutionaries battle leaders and regimes, risking their lives to build a new society of conscience.The Chicago Tribune described this film as "A compelling inside look at the cascading series of revolutions and counterrevolutions that have shaken Egypt since the beginning of 2011." Further, the Washington Post called it "elegantly shot and structured, but infused with rough, spontaneous energy; global in its consciousness but intimate in its approach; carefully pitched but emotionally wrenching; deeply troubling but ultimately exhilarating." I am not going to disagree with either of those assessments. The film is important and impressive for how it mixes the local and the international. No film up for an Oscar this year has more importance than this one, as it shows the spark that triggered the Arab Spring. But it also gets to the details, showing the factionalism, and mixed opinion on the Muslim Brotherhood and military.Foreign affairs are challenging for Americans, and it is easy to lump Egyptians into one category in our minds. We may each have a different label, but few of us really know what life in Egypt is like. This film takes us there, presenting a political process and democracy that is just as vibrant -- in some ways more so -- than in the United States.Aside from the film itself, there is also the interesting distinction that this is the first Oscar nominee distributed by Netflix, as well as the first funded by Kickstarter. Neither of these things should have a bearing on the way we (or awards shows) see the content, but it offers a message that the way films are financed and distributed is changing rapidly. Thanks to streaming internet, more people can see this film today (February 2014) than they ever could before.Because of its global importance, this film has every right to the Oscar. And if winning means even more people see it, I hope that happens. But it will be an uphill battle, as "Act of Killing" seems to be the front runner. Regardless, any film that lets Americans see the rest of world as it sees itself is well worth spreading.