The Siege Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
On November 6th our freedom is history
An enemy they can't see. A nation under siege. A crisis they can't control
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-Intelligence 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.
| Mark Valley | FBI Agent Mike Johanssen |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Edward Zwick |
6.00 out of 10 (14634 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Trips over the plot
posted on 19 Jul 2009(Spoliers ahead)This movie had alot in its favor for the first half or so. There was some suspense and action and drama. Washington and Shalhoub perform their parts well and ground it in realism. Bening also does well at first but then falls victim to the movie's tangling plot. By the second hour you get the feeling that everything's still being set up and this results in confusion and not suspense. Bening's character seems to be everywhere at once and during the course of the movie apparently was on everyone's side. I was relieved when she was killed in the end, but of course her last words melodramatically had to be "Inshallah'.The General played by Willis is pretty much the stereotype of the hard-nosed soldier led astray by his duty to his country. Anyone could have played him and Willis is as good as anyone,
so they put him in. If the Siege had tried not to put so many things into the brew - Islamic terrorists and ethic stereotyping, Bening's baffling character and Willis' General, and tweaked the ending, you may have had a really good movie here. If you want to watch it go ahead, but don't expect too much.
Very good+ as a rental movie
posted on 10 Jul 2009I'm glad I didn't pay $8.50 to see this but I did enjoy the rental. The Willis character spoiled an otherwise interesting story. Possible spoiler follows: This movie has the best death scene I've ever seen, I was very impressed. I won't say who dies but when you see it, you'll know who I mean. General comment on comments: I would enjoy reading these comments much more if the authors wouldn't take it all so personally. Many people act as if their person has been assaulted when some editors does a bad job or a screenplay isn't up to par. Maybe it's "movie-rage." Relax out there, it's a MOVIE!
Prophetic but not great
posted on 04 Jul 2009"The Siege" is a movie that, in some ways, is prophetic. Arab terrorists attack the US. The President orders a crackdown. Arabs are rounded up, much like what happened after 9/11. All the same cliches are used--"terrorist killers," "our way of life is threatened," "make no mistake--we will hunt them down." Even people's patriotism is questioned.However, being prophetic does not make it a good movie. It would have been more interesting to have had the main character be Tony Shalhoub's character, an Arab, who has to deal with his son's incarceration. It would have been better to eliminate Samir's character as well (SPOILERS AHEAD) and not have him talk about why he's a terrorist before the tradition Hollywood shootout ending. In real life, there is no one terrorist leader who survives and then fights the hero as he is about to carry out an attack. Lastly, (SPOILERS AGAIN) it would have been a nice touch had Bruce Willis' general not been arrested, which would probably not happen in real life, but instead promoted for his patriotism, and the ending taken place at the President's ball with a (verbal) confrontation between the hero and Willis in tuxedos.There are many more things I could say to improve the siege. For one, maybe more believable writing. However, I believe that the movie was worth seeing, if only for the parallels between 1998's view on terrorism and what comes after real attacks in 2001. **1/2 stars our of ****
.....holy Nostradamos !!!.......
posted on 04 Jul 2009This is an excellent film which portended the infamous events of 9/11. The performances were first rate, particularly Annette Bening. Denzel Washington's soliloquy in the lavatory, directed at Bening and Bruce Willis' characters as the torture of a believed terrorist captive was being contemplated, sent chills up my back when I first saw it and produces the same reaction in me when I see it now. This movie should be viewed if for no other reason than this one scene alone. It is very powerful and Denzel's delivery is flawless. It's interesting to read the change in tone of the reviews in this venue, from the initial release of this film, to the reviews post 9/11. When I first saw this film I was overwhelmed by the thought of the types of events portrayed actually occurring on U.S. soil, particularly after remembering the first, largely unsuccessful bombing of the World Trade Center a number of years earlier, which occurred in the garage of the building. I remember thinking "what would have happened if that building had fallen over?...a lot of people would have been killed". The U.S. should have taken steps to beef up national security beginning THEN. If you recall, there was a boycott of this film by Muslim factions world wide, and if I remember correctly, a theater was bombed because the theater insisted on showing trailers of the upcoming release of this film. Let's not forget about people like Timothy McVie and also groups like the Branch Dividians. Terrorism can be home grown too.Anyhow, this movie is great with fine performances by Washigton, Bening, Willis and especially Tony Shalhoub (in this pre-Monk performance) as the agent torn between duty and heritage. The story unfolds well, screen play, dialog, editing all first rate. In particular I admired the display of the internment camps, the scenes where Marshall law is declared for New York City, portrayal of the lack of communication and sharing of information between governmental agencies, the erosion of civil liberties in the time of extreme crisis. Much loss of civil liberties has occurred since 9/11 in the U.S. and world wide. Current airport security measures is the first example that pops into my mind.I think this film should have garnered a much higher initial reviewer rating in this venue and I'm quite surprised that it didn't. This movie is a must see, if you can cope with the possible sorrow and anger it may cause you.
bruce willis is not a bad guy
posted on 17 May 2009While this plot may seem implausible it really isn't. This movie makes Bruce Willis out to be a bad guy as I'm sure the director intended but I don't think that he is. These are a group of characters forced to "do what they have to do". Bruce Willis (MG William Devereaux) takes extreme actions in a situation that calls for them. Call me what you may but in a situation such as what is presented in this movie you have to go by the good of the one is outweighed by the good of the many philosophy. MG Devereaux does what he feels is necessary to complete his mission. Denzel Washington plays a character doing his "job" much as Willis is. Just in case the audience wavers the character of Frank Haddads (Tony Shalhoub) son is introduced to put a personal feel to the whole situation.
This is the first movie in ages to make me forget I was watching a movie
posted on 14 May 2009Three things struck me about this movie:1. How it sucked me in. At one point, when they were herding Arab-Americans into the stadium/prison camp, I thought to myself, "Wow. When this is all over, this country is going to have some serious problems dealing with the repercussions of this." Then I realized it was just a movie.2. How completely and totally believable it was. I can see something like this happening in this country, especially in light of the assumption after the Oklahoma City bombing that it had been done by Arab terrorists.3. How little there was in the way of special effects, and how they weren't necesary. This movie carries itself on its premise, story, and incredible acting.
Good theme,no plot.
posted on 26 Apr 2009A string of terrorist attacks hit New York , and matters are'nt helped when General Devearuex (Bruce Willis)employs methods of resolve which don't rub well and arouse suspicion with experienced and dedicated FBI agent Hubbard (Denzel Washington,on his usual high powered persona). It explores it's themes of Arab terrorism well,and presents an original idea in an intriguing enough tone.But it's a strangely unexciting film,lacking in any real cohesioncy,plot or continuity.
This fictional movie showed us what was coming. And they showed us what not to do!
posted on 02 Apr 2009This was a very strange film. Strange, because it had so many of its facts right for 9/11. Right city, right jihadists, right plot.And the military's answer to the terrorist threats? Go in, plunder, pillage, torture, abuse and kill the bad guys. Moral? If we stoop to their level, we are no better than the enemy. The real irony is, Denzel's character had the CHARACTER to do the right thing. Oddly, and presciently, Bruce Willis' general was about to do all the wrong stuff, and with a little help from Denzel, decided not to resort to all the things we really have resorted to. This movie is notable for several reasons, but the uppermost is showing us the future we shouldn't take, but took anyway. The irony is not lost. What is confounding here is how much of this originally semi-corny movie got right. Washington, Benning, Shaloub, and Willis, all deliver in a big fashion, with some pertinent warnings. The road not taken was the moral. How scary that in the long run, when presented by a much larger threat, we one-upped this movie's punch line in reality. How much stranger can you get than that? This was a fairly realistic portrait of the underworld, the intrigue, the terrorism, and gave us a scary view of our future. Hopefully, next time a movie like this one comes along, we might be better served by taking it more seriously.
a revealing movie
posted on 24 Mar 2009Minor spoilers ahead!A few interesting theories/facts are made visible in this movie:1. A free and democratic society is a fragile composition. It is not only vulnerable by a few extremists, but also by the rampant powers of it's own institutions. Even the media itself is part of the problem, insofar it is used by those terrorists as a mouthpiece and multiplier of their campaign and message.2. The hunt for those few terrorists easily turns into a hunt against the citizens: everybody is suddenly under suspicion3. As the General Devereaux himself warns against the use of martial law, it is pretty clear that the political establishment (or the government) simply want to hide behind the "broad sword" of the Army, tolerating again the "collateral damage" inflicted by its useTo make only the General or the Army responsible for the violence inflicted by the declaration of Martial Law would be short of justice.4. Violence only generates more violence. State-funded violence also generates hatred against the people of that country. The terrorist cells were made by former "allies", who turned against their former supporters after being abandoned.The (1998!) movie is a scary reflection of the current situation in many western countries. Yet the "happy ending" (which still leaves many questions raised) gives not much comfort.Of course this movie cannot cover the whole picture and certainly misses a lot of background information. It is concerned more with a certain aspect of this menace: the dealings of the established institutions with the terrorist attacks and the interactions between the various government bodies.
Action movie about a serious topic...
posted on 19 Feb 2009The Siege is a fairly fast paced, action packed movie, that has many ambitions; but only manages to fulfill some of them. In the movie, Denzel Washington plays an FBI agent, charged with finding terrorists in NYC; he finds some, but then it becomes clear that there are more... The public panics and the US Army is brought in to deal with the situation.The movie's main dilemma is, "how important are individual rights?" "At what cost do we ignore or protect them?"Although the movie is not bad, it does drag on in some cases, and some characters (Annette Bening's) are just annoying. The real gem here is Tony Shalhoub, and his protrayal of an American Muslim who also happens to be an FBI agent, he is funny, serious, thoughtful, and understated. He makes an excellent opposite to the loud mouths in the movie. May be disturbing to some viewers. (Eg: torture/murder.)
pbblllttttttt!
posted on 10 Feb 2009Some great actors in a movie that is just plain howard the duck dumb.cheers! Docafterword: i have to write ten lines in order to review this abysmal movie.... you know like when the penguins all carried the corpse of the penguin back to penguinland? that kind of scene would improve this flick... I can't think of any movie that had more promise to it that bombed quite as hard in my reality sensors. bruce willis as a two star general... this movie is like reviewing something for 'jump the shark' you know it's bad... but how bad? my answer? penguinland bad. bluesbrothers2000 bad is a step up. why put my two cents in? because this flick is so freakin' bad that i'd rather be reviewing it then watching the tail end of it.... we're talking' this flick makes lethal weapon 3 look like 'ran'. i'm going to go watch some scooby-doo episodes to raise my intelligence level after watching this flick... that's how bad it is. cia chick sleeping with a palestinian guy with terror ties and the fbi guy letting him run around free after a NUMBER of half-truths from him. i've seen 50s horror movies that are more plausible. now... i stick by my initial review... "Some great actors in a movie that is just plain howard the duck dumb." but since IMDb requires 10 lines here they are.
NOT FUNNY!!! This could happen, scary.
posted on 04 Feb 2009NOT FUNNY!!! This could happen, scary. Maybe I forgot this was an entertainment movie not a documentary. It made mockery of the CIA, (which I believe is inept anyway,not so much in concept but in application). Seemed the FBI was in the Hoover years, lawless. Although the threat of terrorism today is ever present, this movie showed how easy it is to accomplish. I don't know how, or why, to condone these acts of these religious zealots. I hope the civilized world can find a solution without mass killing. NOW WE ARE SENDING OUR TROUPS TO THE FAR EAST TO DO JUST THAT. God help us.solution
High marks for EFFORT...
posted on 01 Feb 2009"The Siege" gets a high mark for effort, even though the viewer may not "see" the result. Zwick et al tackle a difficult subject, made more difficult by the fact that the demise of the Soviet Union has left popular film without a consistent demon. Unfortunately, various Middle Eastern nationalities have been chosen to periodically fill the void.There are several major themes here, including the supposed reaction to domestic terrorist bombing by foreign nationals, the standard FBI "get the bad guy" story, how martial law might be imposed to resolve a large-scale terrorist event, and persecution of a minority group based on the actions of a small contingent of the group's extremists. Time constraints leave each theme sketchily developed and partially resolved with no room for character development, and the result is an unsatisfying film with a neat 20-minute happy conclusion. The acting is unremarkable, which is a disappointment from a cast with Washington and Bening.I would rate the film a "7," but with 2 points added for effort.
Wish it were better
posted on 11 Jan 2009I just saw the film this afternoon. I was really looking forward in watching The Siege. Denzel Washington was real good(always). I wish they could've introduced Bruce Willis's character a little bit more. The movie wasn't half bad at all. The plot was good, it made you think of what the necessary steps you'd have to make if you were HUBBARD(Denzel). Maybe the film was just too long, yeah that's it. The Siege might have been better if it were shorter. Word of advice, those who are seeking a really splendid film, seek else where. Watch Private Ryan before it's too late. E-mails are always welcomed.
Ouch--big time.
posted on 02 Jan 2009If you want to see this movie because you liked the look of the trailer, forget it. Actually, if you want to see this for other reasons, still forget it. But back to the trailer. It makes this look like a heavy-duty-action, super-tense, the-government-has-gone-too-far, conflict-between-leaders (re "Crimson Tide") type thing. That might have been cool. Or at least mildly entertaining. Instead, you have to sit through a good chunk of the movie before Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington even meet. As my bro asked halfway through, "When does the movie start?" Good question. As to Willis and Washington, as well as the rest of the cast....Poor Denzel. What on earth are you doing in a flick like this? Denzel, my favorite noble-headed hero (portraying Agent Anthony Hubbard of the Fibbies), who has gracefully handled everything from amusing fluff like "The Preacher's Wife" to the intriguing drama "Courage Under Fire"--ouch. Even this boy can barely give life to the dead script here, although he still manages to escape with a small modicum of grace.And Brucie-Boy, my man! What's with the whole I'm-gonna-get-a-bad-haircut/rug-and-then-channel -Kevin-Costner thing? Man, be BRUCE, not Kevin! Why on earth would you want to emulate the original Man Without a Chin? That's not what we watch you for--we see your movies for the whole spiky hair, shirt-with-one-sleeve-ripped-off-and-a-hole-torn-in-the-chest, blood-running-down-an-arm thing. Not for this General William Devereaux, twitty Army dude, way overboard on the patriotism. Think "Die Hard", my man, think anything but this.Annette (Elise Kraft/Sharon Bridger), dear--what happened? Here, as I see it, the idea was to make a role prominently featuring major contradictions such as: which side am I really on? am I a government agent or a woman in love with my Arabian contact first? But it was too much contradiction--sorry, babe, but anyone with as inconsistent a life as Elise/Sharon's would be in an asylum. I can accept that as the fault of the screenwriters, however. Still, you could have tried a little harder (I hope).Now for the good part (please note the use of the singular): thank God for Tony Shalhoub (of Jeebs, the memorable pawnbroker in "Men in Black" fame)! Playing Hubbard's Arabian partner Frank Haddad, he alone is seriously engaging and has a motive OTHER than patriotism v. non-patriotism. He also provided the intentional (ahem) laughs of the film, specifically in his on-going desire for "microwave" (the technology, not the nuker/cooker).Oh, one last thing, as a note to director Edward Zwick (producer of "Shakespeare In Love" and "Legends of the Fall"): it is very rarely a good idea to go for the Serious Political Message (re "Primary Colors", which was amusing until they committed the grievous sin of the S.P.M.). Bad mistake, man. Shoulda left it as it was--forgettable, but at least not laughable."On November 6 our freedom is history." Hmmm...or our will to live, anyway.Hey, I really wanted it to be good! Honest! Interesting idea, good cast, terrific tagline--it sounded like a sure thing. If you want a Bruce Willis-in-charge action movie, go get "Armageddon". At least you'll have a few giggles at the overall stupidity of the movie, instead of just sitting staring, praying dear God, let it end--please let it end.
A very good film that makes you think..
posted on 02 Jan 2009I had read the very negative reviews given to this film, and I think I assumed they were true. However, I have just watched the Siege, and I found it to be a very excellent film. It is a commentary on US and its powers. It shows us that too much power is a problem. It shows us the consequences of freedom. Many of the scenes are powerful. Denzel Washington is excellent, Annette Bening is very good, and Bruce Willis is fine. He plays the hard-a** General better then I would have expected, but its nothing new for him really. The big stand out here is Tony Shalhoub, who plays Denzel's partner. He is funny and then very believable in his later scenes. He was very very good. This is a very good that may show you how lucky we in America are. 8 out of 10.
Frighteningly realistic
posted on 27 Dec 2008The Siege seems underappreciated -- it was a fantastic film, with realistic characters and dialogue, but in light of the tragedies of September 11, 2001, it might be a little too close to home.The writing is superb; the terrifying thing is how close this 1998 film seems to be -- at least for the first two-thirds -- to our own experiences in 2001.A bit of a Hollywood ending, maybe, but the suspense is fantastic.
A fascinating look at America's reaction to Islam
posted on 15 Dec 2008A quantum leap for Edward Zwick, The Siege leaves behind Courage Under Fire's relatively flavorless tale of American "heroism" in the Gulf War for this maddeningly ambiguous story of terrorism in New York City. The Siege puts American society and international Islam at opposite ends of a supercollider, and pursues the most subtle results of their impact.Hubbard, the FBI's top terrorism fighter, finds evidence that suggests a Hizballah-style terrorist cell has begun operating in New York, not the least of which is a group of American intelligence types interfering with the FBI's investigation. The smug leader of the intelligence group, Elise, reluctantly supplies Hubbard with information on her own investigation of the terrorists, but none of it is very satisfying. Zwick suggests the genuinely American response to crisis is to establish ineffectual spy-chains; military intelligence observes the FBI as it spies on Elise, who plies her Arab informant futilely.What's fascinating about The Siege is the way it intermingles Islam (identified as alien by most American viewers) with things so utterly familiar. One of the opening scenes features a muezzin calling prayer from a minaret; as the camera pulls back, we find we are not in the Middle East, but the center of New York. Central to this effort (and equally fascinating) is the film's refusal to allow its characters to collapse into stereotypes. A terrorist pursues life as a liberal American intellectual, an arabic-speaking FBI agent struggles with issues of loyalty, and even Hubbard flirts with torturing an immigrant suspected of involvement with the terrorists. Identities are painfully intermingled. Hubbard leads one character through the lord's prayer as she dies, only to find that at her last exhalation, she calls on the name of Allah; few cinematic moments in recent memory have left me feeling so emotionally blindsided.
Nothing new
posted on 09 Aug 2009I watched this film by accident on cable, having no idea what it was until half way through when I bothered to pick up the TV guide. Started off interesting enough, displaying flashes of a (far superior) Arlington Road, then unfortunately degenerating into a US/"freedom"/"we are becoming just like them!"/"I love my country" babble fest. Interesting to note that half the production team have Jewish names. On the surface you could look at this film and say, "but its saying that racism against Arabs is bad:", but the 'we are becoming just like them' quotes that just keep coming really show where the true colours of the script writer lie. Politics aside, I did watch this to the end, and found most of the acting okay, (although Bening is annoying). Best part of this film is that it goes to extremes that we haven't come to expect from Hollywood. A bus blows, then a theatre, then a school under siege, it's like "god, what will they blow up next?", then the whole city is under siege!!! One good point that I did note in one of the above reviews was about the citizens of NYC not fighting back against the army, but if we can't have a little suspension of disbelief then Hollywood would be out of business. Overall, watch it if it is too cold or wet to go to the video library and/or you just want to stare blankly at the screen.