Themes: Terrorism, Social Injustice, Fighting the System
Main Cast: Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub
Release Year: 1998
Country: US
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Edward Zwick directed this action thriller about Islamic militants unleashing terrorism in New York City. As FBI Terrorism Task Force-chief Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) investigates, a false-alarm bomb threat is followed by a legit bomb, with many killed when a Brooklyn bus explodes. Agents track a suspect through Brooklyn, while Hub teams with Middle East expert and NSA operative Elise Kraft (Annette Bening). After the FBI wipes out three Arabs in a Brooklyn apartment, an explosion in a Broadway theater is followed by attacks on a school and FBI headquarters. When the President declares martial law, neo-fascist Army General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis) swings into action, deploying tanks through Brooklyn, capturing Arab-American males, and herding them into an open-air stadium detention camp. Hub's Arab-American FBI associate Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub) is disgusted and quits when his son becomes one of the Arab detainees. With the Army out of control, the power-crazed Devereaux devises plans for torture and murder, turning his attention to Hub and Elise. President Bill Clinton is seen denouncing terrorists in TV clips. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Review
This terrorist thriller from director Ed Zwick was underrated upon its initial release, but only a few years later, the film seemed simultaneously prescient and quaint given subsequent real-life events. The idea of a story about Islamic fundamentalists viciously attacking the citizens of New York City certainly wasn't a wild and crazy concept before the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. However, the film's depiction of several smaller-scale bombings pales in comparison to the real and horrific genuine article. That doesn't make Zwick's a bad film, and indeed, there are some fascinating tidbits of information about the attitudes, backgrounds, and history of Islamic extremists to be gleaned here. Not only that, but Zwick proves an able hand at keeping a brisk pace and screenwriter Lawrence Wright crafts some gripping, suspenseful scenes. Denzel Washington delivers a typically adroit performance as a conflicted but tough and smart FBI agent, while Bruce Willis is at his coolly pained best in the role of an ambitious general who's mastered the art of political manipulation. Annette Bening is the spot-on choice for the role of an intelligent, competent woman who's somehow duped by her own errant gut instincts, while reliable character actor Tony Shalhoub proves again that he can do nearly anything. The Siege (1998) is probably going to be a difficult, painful film for a post-2001 audience to view, but it will stand for years to come as both a sturdy, effective action-drama and a poignant example of what Hollywood saw as a "worst case scenario" before history proved the film's creators naïvely incorrect. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
