The Siege (1998)

The secret US abduction of a suspected terrorist leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York that lead to the declaration of martial law.

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers:

Lawrence Wright (story), Lawrence Wright (screenplay),

Stars:

Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Denzel Washington	...	Anthony 'Hub' Hubbard
Annette Bening	...	Elise Kraft / Sharon Bridger
Bruce Willis	...	Major General William Devereaux
Tony Shalhoub	...	Agent Frank Haddad
Sami Bouajila	...	Samir Nazhde
Ahmed Ben Larby	...	Sheik Achmed Bin Talal
Mosleh Mohamed	...	Muezzin
Lianna Pai	...	Tina Osu (as Liana Pai)
Mark Valley	...	FBI Agent Mike Johanssen
Jack Gwaltney	...	Fred Darius
David Proval	...	Danny Sussman
Lance Reddick	...	FBI Agent Floyd Rose
Jeremy Knaster	...	INS Official
William Hill	...	INS Uniform
Aasif Mandvi	...	Khalil Saleh

Storyline

After the abduction by the US military of an Islamic religious leader, New York City becomes the target of escalating terrorist attacks. Anthony Hubbard, the head of the FBI's Counter-Terrorism Task Force in New York, teams up with CIA operative Elise Kraft to hunt down the terrorist cells responsible for the attacks. As the bombings continue, the US government responds by declaring martial law, sending US troops, led by Gen. Devereaux, into the streets of New York City.

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Plot Keywords:

terrorist | abduction | new york city | martial law | bombing | 

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Taglines:

On November 6th our freedom is history

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Arabic Spanish

Release Date:

6 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Against All Enemies

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£845,954 (UK) (8 January 1999)

Gross:

SGD 511,909 (Singapore) (19 February 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Lynda Obst Productions, Bedford Falls Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to an interview that screenwriter Lawrence Wright gave to CBS in 2007, the film was a box office failure upon its theatrical release, "but it was the most-rented movie in America after 9/11." Wright also claimed that the initial release bombed because "Muslim and Arab protesters picketed the theaters. They were furious at being stereotyped as terrorists."

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Goofs

Mark Valley's character FBI Agent Mike Johanssen appeared in the showdown between Agent Hubbard and General Devereaux (behind General Deveraux). However, Agent Johanssen was killed in an earlier scene at the 1 Federal Plaza bombing.

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Quotes

[the agents discuss the bus that was paint bombed]
Anthony 'Hub' Hubbard: See if any was sold in quantity the last month. Danny, find out what stop these guys got on the bus, maybe there's a witness.
Agent Frank Haddad: Hub, I think we're all eager to give our weekends up on this, I know I am... but it just occurs to me, has any one committed a crime here? I mean, assault with a deadly color...?
Anthony 'Hub' Hubbard: Here's what I don't like: they know explosives. They know our response time. They put in a call and walk.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The Hurt Locker/My Sister's Keeper/Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

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Soundtracks

"First You Cry"
Written by Buddy Flett and David Egan
Performed by Little Buster And The Soul Brothers
Courtesy of Rounder Records
by arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

One of the Effects of Cinematic Media: Reaction

Watching the 1998 THE SIEGE in 2007 and then rolling through all the reviews of this film from the time of release to the present is a lesson in the power of the cinema. The obvious initial response was less about the film as a film than about the manner in which the FBI, CIA, Military, Terrorists, and public responded to the unimaginable: shouts of protests about 'glorification of occult terrorists', the Hollywood idea of the impossible happening, and the criticism of the fine cast of actors who steeped into roles 'beyond swallowing' are all here in these reviews.

Now, six years after 9/11 reviewers are taking a different view, though most still find the film pompous and obnoxious. Offensive versus defensive. And after viewing the movie as a movie it is gratifying to know that people feel strongly and are vocal about the depiction of the 'war against terrorism' we continue to lose. Movies that make people think and talk are valuable, and in that light the film is more successful than initially considered.

Yes, there are gaping holes in the script and the plot and the concept, but as a little thriller it maintains our attention throughout and offers some fine moments from actors such as Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Tony Shalhoub, Bruce Willis, Sami Bouajila, Ahmed Ben Larby, Aasif Mandvi among others. And then there are the panoramas of New York City under siege with the Twin Towers standing mightily in the cityscape... It begs the question: if scriptwriter Lawrence Wright and director Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Courage Under Fire, Glory, Leaving Normal, Legends of the Fall, etc) were thinking along these lines and finding flaws in our intelligence forces, why weren't the leaders in Washington, DC in tune with 'absurd possibilities'? It makes one think - and that is the best thing about this film. Grady Harp