| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | THE SIEGE (1998) |
| Director | Edward Zwick |
| Writer | Lawrence Wright, Menno Meyjes, Edward Zwick |
| Lead Actor | Denzel Washington |
| Cast | Denzel Washington, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila, Lance Reddick |
| Genre | Action, Thriller, Drama |
| Release Date | November 6, 1998 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 56m (116 min) |
| Budget | $70 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 6.4/10 |
| Plot Summary | After a series of terrorist attacks in New York City, the U.S. government declares martial law, leading to tensions between law enforcement, the military, and the rights of citizens. |
| Filming Locations | New York City, New York, USA |
| Tagline | “On November 6th, America will change forever.” |
WATCH NOW
THE SIEGE offers the Arab terrorists threaten New York plot as our worst nightmare. Producer director Edward Zwick tries for a mix between a bombs guns chases movie and a dark vision of a panic reaction in which Middle East ethnics are herded into camps like Japanese Americans in World War II.
Denzel Washington is the F.B.I. hero who saves us from the anti-American bad guys, and the testosterone-loaded American general (Bruce Willis) who will do whatever it takes to crush the enemy and return to normalcy “in time for the playoffs.” Annette Bening has a memorable role as a hardened C.I.A. operative with mixed feelings about the Iraqis she once trained to fight Saddam. (Her character, based on a real female agent, inspired this project, and remains its freshest ingredient.
Filmmaker Zwick (Glory, Legends of the Fall) seems conscious of the complexity and shows strong sympathy for the victimized Arab Americans. At best, the nervous streets, the general with beret and shades, the bombs and the torture scenes recall Z and Battle of Algiers; the people being herded into stadiums are from Missing. But the panic that would cause Americans to abandon their principles so quickly is unconvincing.
While the tone is preachy at times, the question of how to save democracy without destroying it is always relevant. The Siege also forcefully reminds us that so much of 20th-century misery has been perpetrated by religious extremists in the name of truth. “Belief,” as the doomed terrorist says, “is power.” And zealotry is the sin of believers. Thinking person’s action flick; O.K. for mature viewers.
For more movies like THE SIEGE (1998) visit Hurawatch.
Also watch: