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The Siege (1998/I)
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Overview
Tagline:
On November 6th our freedom is history morePlot:
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. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
2 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Will Hollywood Be The Same? (From Studio Briefing. 14 September 2001)
Arab Americans Protest Willis Movie (From Studio Briefing. 27 August 1998)
User Comments:
Eerily prescient. moreCast
(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 | |
| 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 |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Against All Enemies (USA) (working title)Blowback (USA) (original script title)
Martial Law (USA) (working title)
Untitled Ed Zwick Project (USA) (working title)
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MPAA:
Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
116 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
Philippines:G | Netherlands:12 | Brazil:14 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hungary:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) (cut) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:RMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
While negotiating with the bus bombers, Hubbard offers to exchange himself for the hostages. In Ricochet (1991), Denzel Washington's character makes the same offer while negotiating with another criminal holding a woman hostage. moreGoofs:
Continuity: The enormous blast when the bus explodes, which produces a massive shock wave, does not affect the helicopters circling above, as is seen with the steady camera footage later on. moreQuotes:
Anthony 'Hub' Hubbard: William Devereaux, you are under arrest for the torture and murder of Tariq Husseini, an American citizen.General William Devereaux: Is this some kind of a joke?
Anthony 'Hub' Hubbard: You see me laughing, general?
more
Soundtrack:
Great Leap Forward moreFAQ
Who played the man that delivered the pizza bomb (the guy who acted as a decoy)?more
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This film, made in 1998, is so close to the reality of Sept. 11, 2001 that it sends chills down your spine. Although events played out differently, so many elements in the film are near-mirror reflections of the reality. The attacks are carried out by Islamic extremists, whose core network were trained by the CIA, their attacks were dramatic and centered on New York City, there was little cooperation between, the FBI, CIA and military, and Arabs and Arab-Americans were rounded up in large numbers, or were subjected to harassment and violence. The images of bodies and debris are no less shocking than the sight of people jumping to their death from the World Trade Center. Torture was employed by US soldiers, in pursuit of terrorists. With all of that said, even had the attacks of Sept. 11th not occurred, this would still be a tremendous film.
Director Ed Zwick and actor Denzell Washington team up once again for a great one-two punch. Denzell brings great humanity to his role as an FBI agent, charged with counter-terrorism operations and investigations. He is aided by Tony Shalhoub, who delivers another great performance and some of the best lines. Annette Benning displays her talent as a CIA operative at the heart of the whole crisis. Roger Deacons adds his wonderful cinematography, and Bruce Willis turns in a fine performance as an over-zealous army general.
The film delivers a cautionary tale about extreme reactions to terror and the loss of freedoms that can result from acting in anger, rather than with reason and law. The rounding up of citizens, as depicted in the film, and the declarations of martial law, are not that far away from the provisions of the Patriot Act, which violates First Amendment rights, the right to privacy, and the right to due process. The film suggests that by giving up these rights, or stripping them away, we become the very thing that our enemies claim we are. It suggests that that may be the terrorists true aim.
This is not a crystal ball prediction of 9/11; but it is a fine thriller. The filmmakers did their homework and got quite a bit right. They also extrapolated things to an extreme, but not an implausible one. However, they delivered an excellent film, and one that should be seen and studied.