L'espion tombé du ciel

In this documentary we have no clear answer. What it is makes an argument that real life espionage is 100% cloak and dagger. A possible Egyptian hero and a turned Israeli spy looms large. There is quite the side stories to support both. In this convoluted reality is the story of "The Spy Who Fell to Earth". And the title is wholly descriptive as Marwan's death was due to a fall. Was it the Israelis? Was it the Egyptians? Was it suicide? It remains an open answer. In this climate this documentary allows there is ample reason for at least two of these scenarios. Even in retrospect the concrete answer alludes those who seek it. One journalist feels a heavy burden in the outcome. This is an arresting confluence of events. There is ample information here to support either of the two possibilities of murder with no clear cut answer. Frustrating? That is true, but the story is larger and that is what this documentary does achieve. The bottom line is that playing between two passionately waring factions is fought with peril. That peril resulted in Marwan's death is the only thing that is certain. What should not be forgotten is that this was only one life of thousands that has been lost over this struggle. A life and death that remains still today.

Tells the story of Ashraf Marwan, a spy "unmasked" by British historian Ahron Bregman (or, perhaps, someone that Ahron Bregman feels he has unmasked -- with some help from Eli Zeira, the director of Israeli military intelligence during the Yom Kippur War).

The director, Tom Meadmore, makes a solid effort to tell both sides of the story and remain impartial -- leaving the 'double-agent' vs 'not double-agent' up to the viewer and should be commended for such, given the details of this particular case.

One could potentially argue that there could be some sort of reverse-bias in play, in that one tries to be so impartial that glaring inconsistencies or absurdities are downplayed in order to play up the 'mystery'.

The one "slip" (if you could call it that) would be the rather telling question that Tom Meadmore asks Mr. Bregman toward the very end of the documentary -- but it was something on my mind & probably for many other viewers by that point. I think it needed to be said.

Recommended, enjoyed it throughout.

It's clear that the author thinks he's all that, and he is by far the weakest part of the documentary. Also the info they chose to leave out in lieu of simply retelling the story over and over again, is strange. The editing was also strange and unnecessarily confusing.

The historian behind this story is either not very clever or a grandiose crook or both. My guess is, I'm sorry to say, he might be both.

Total waste of time under a gripping name. The film is pointless consisting of repetitive scenes and having no distinctive narrative. It gives nothing. Why it is done? Looks a lot like the author's egotrip presenting mostly him.