The Siege (1998)
Director: Edward Zwick Cast: Denzel Washington, Annette Benning, Bruce Willis, Tony Shalhoub, Sami Bouajila, Ahmed Ben Larby Screenplay: Lawrence Wright, Menno Meyjes, Edward Zwick Producers: Lynda Obst, Edward Zwick Runtime: 118 min. US Distribution: 20th Century Fox Rated R: violence, language, nudity
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
>From the ashes of jingoistic American action movies rises The Siege, a film bold enough to admit that we've got a few problems of our own. Director/co-writer Edward Zwick has created a suspense film that illustrates almost exactly what a suspense film should be: The Siege doesn't skimp on story in favor of spectacle, and it doesn't let us down with the spectacle, either. It tells the story of a malevolent terrorist attack on New York City, and is successful not simply because of good production values and great performances, but because the story is pointed and inherently frightening.
The film centers around Tony Hubbard (Denzel Washington), an FBI agent who becomes aware of terrorist activity in New York when a paint bomb explodes on a city bus one day. This turns out to be a precursor to a real bomb, which ends up killing about fifty people. With pseudo-help from CIA agent Elise Kraft (Annette Benning) and his partner (Tony Shalhoub), Hubbard discovers that several Arab terrorist cells are operating in New York, and their attacks become more and more vicious as the film progresses.
In steps the military, headed by General Devereaux (Bruce Willis). The US Government, despite Devereaux's warning, orders that martial law be declared on the city, and that every man of Middle Eastern descent be held and questioned until the terrorists are found. As expected, chaos erupts, and the plot thickens -- Hubbard doesn't believe that martial law is the right way to go about solving the problem, and the military subsequently finds him -- along with the terrorists -- a threat to the good of the nation.
That's a lot of plot, even for a two-hour movie. One of The Siege's greatest strengths is its economical use of time and story -- Zwick (who previously directed Washington in Glory and Courage Under Fire) keeps the film at a breakneck pace, but never so fast that you get confused. It's a sharply-made film, and always suspenseful (the bus scene, even though it's in the preview, is very well-done). There are some truly harrowing images; when the military rounds up all the Arab men in the second half, one can't help but be reminded of the Japanese concentration camps in the US during World War II. Even more disturbing is the way this all looks so much like the Nazi's method for rounding up the Jews.
Because Zwick and his writers created such a subtle and intelligent script, the disquieting nature of this prominent theme is only obvious when you really think about it. The Siege is extremely bold in its themes; it reminds us of the principles on which this country was founded, and also reminds us that we are just as capable of the horrors that some of the most loathed groups in world history have committed. That's not a wishy-washy statement for some summer-blockbuster. What makes the film thematically successful is Zwick's subtlety and approach -- only in the end does he come right out and tell us how crazy all of this is. Until then, you might actually think that martial law is a good solution to the problem.
The Siege is packed full of superb performances, and at the top of the list is Washington. Although his character could have been better-developed (is he married? does he have kids?), Washington is such a magnetic and powerful actor that he forces us to care just because he's so good. Benning is also surprisingly strong, and thankfully her role is not a typical Token Female role. Some have criticized Willis' performance, but I found it brilliantly subdued -- you never get the feeling that he's enjoying what he does, but you understand his patriotism.
But that's where the film falters. In the last thirty minutes, it becomes clear that Zwick was reaching for ways to keep his characters involved in the story. In reality, this story would focus on many different people, but, as a film, we need focus on one or two characters. What begins as a riveting, realistic picture sadly regresses into silliness, because Hubbard's involvement becomes impossible to believe, especially when the military finds him as a threat. The character dynamics also become annoyingly simple, as Devereaux is reduced to a demon and Hubbard turns into a preacher.
The Siege is too smart to resort to shoot-outs and personal vendettas. As good as most of the film is, the last fifteen minutes are all wrong. It's so refreshing to sit through a film that takes an unflinching look at our own values as a country, but Zwick should have let the subtlety of the first half resonate in the second half. Nonetheless, I highly recommend The Siege, because it seems Americans have become dumbed-down in movies that tell us how great we have it. And while I admit that we do have it pretty good, I think it's a smart that we take a look at ourselves every once in a while, just to keep from forgetting that we, too, are capable of evil.
>From 0-10: 7
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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