The Siege

Infobox_Film
name=The Siege


caption = The movie poster for "The Siege".
imdb_id=0133952
writer=Lawrence Wright
Menno Meyjes
Edward Zwick
starring=Denzel Washington
Annette Bening
Bruce Willis
Tony Shalhoub
David Proval
Sami Bouajila
director=Edward Zwick
editing = Steven Rosenblum
cinematography = Roger Deakins
music=Graeme Revell | distributor=20th Century Fox
released=November 6 1998
runtime=116 min.
language=English
movie_series=
awards=
producer=Lynda Obst
Edward Zwick
budget= $70 million|

"The Siege" is a 1998 film about a fictional situation where terrorist cells have made several attacks on New York City. It was directed by Edward Zwick and stars Denzel Washington, Bruce Willis, Annette Bening, and Tony Shalhoub.

Plot summary

FBI Special Agent Anthony Hubbard (Denzel Washington) and his Arab partner Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub), arrive at the scene of a terrorist crisis in New York City, where hostages are being held aboard a bus containing a bomb. The bomb turns out to be false, but the FBI receives a phone call stating that there will be real bombs unless the religious leader Sheik Ahmed Bin Talal, kidnapped in the Middle East by the US government, is freed.

The first real bomb is also aboard a bus. Hubbard gets the terrorists to release all the children on the bus, but despite further attempts to negotiate, the bomb explodes, killing everyone still aboard. A CIA agent, Elise Kraft, involved with her own agency's investigation of the bombing, shows up but will not give Hubbard any details. However, she introduces him to Samir, an Arab CIA informant. Kraft and Samir are lovers, and had worked together during the Gulf War where Kraft organized a group of men to rise against the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, until funding was cut. Samir admits to knowing one of the suicide bombers after Hubbard shows proof of contact. However, Kraft insists that Samir is not a terrorist, and that his continued freedom is vital to the investigation. Samir, fearing retribution, refuses to talk.

Nonetheless, the FBI locates the first cell and takes them out in a shootout, unaware of a second sleeper cell which then becomes activated and bombs a theater. A third cell bombs the offices of the FBI Counterterrorism Division at One Federal Plaza.

The Federal Government seeks options. Major General William Devereaux (Willis) insists that the Army is not the right "tool" for this job, being a "broadsword not a scalpel." Hubbard recommends continued use of the FBI to seek out and neutralize the suspects. Nonetheless, the President declares martial law, and the Army, under Major General Devereaux, occupies and seals off Brooklyn in an effort to find the remaining terrorist cells. Subsequently, all young males of Arab descent, including Haddad's son, are rounded up and detained in a makeshift prison camp in a stadium. Haddad quits the FBI. New Yorkers stage violent demonstrations against the army and the singling out of the Arabs, and the Army fights to maintain control. There are reports of Army killings.

Hubbard and Kraft, whose true name is revealed to be Sharon Bridger, continuing their investigation, capture a suspect, Tariq Husseini, but Devereaux takes custody of him and tortures and kills him in an interrogation, against the objections of Hubbard. After this Bridger tells Hubbard that Husseini knew nothing and, sickened, finally tells Hubbard what she knows. It turns out that she trained anti-Saddam Iraqis to make bombs and these men were let into the country by the CIA as payback when their funding was cut, leaving the group under the Hussein regime. She and Hubbard compel Samir to arrange a meeting with the final terrorist cell. Hubbard convinces Haddad he needs his help and his return to the FBI.

A peaceful march including all ethnic groups in New York demonstrating against the occupation of Brooklyn is getting under way. When Bridger and Samir arrive at the meeting place, Samir reveals that he himself is the final cell. He straps a bomb to his body which he intends to detonate amongst the marchers. Hubbard and Haddad arrive in time, but Samir fatally shoots Bridger as she struggles to stop him, and Hubbard kills Samir.

Hubbard, accompanied by other FBI agents, places Devereaux under arrest for the torture and murder of Tariq Husseini. Devereaux declares himself to be the law, and commands his soldiers to aim their guns at the FBI agents resulting in a Mexican standoff. Hubbard reminds Devereaux that the civil liberties and human rights which he took from Husseini are what all his predecessors have fought and died for. Devereaux finally submits to arrest. Martial law ends, and the detainees are freed, including Haddad's son.

Cast

*Denzel Washington as FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anthony "Hub" Hubbard
*Annette Bening as CIA Operative Elise Kraft / Sharon Bridger
*Bruce Willis as U.S. Army Major General William Devereaux
*Tony Shalhoub as FBI Special Agent Frank Haddad
*Sami Bouajila as Samir Nazhde
*Ahmed Ben Larby as Sheik Ahmed Bin Talal

Controversy

When the film opened, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee came out against the film. Its spokesman Hussein Ibish said “"The Siege" is extremely offensive. It's beyond offensive. We're used to offensive, that's become a daily thing. This is actually dangerous." He thought it was “Insidious and incendiary” because it “reinforces stereotypes that lead to hate crimes.” Ibish acknowledged that Arab terrorists did, in fact, bomb the World Trade Center in 1993, but said that Arab and Islamic groups are upset by "the very strong equation between Muslim religious practices and terrorism. ... [Thanks to this film] Every time someone goes through the Muslim ablution, the ritual washing of hands everybody does before they pray five times a day, that image is the announcement to the viewer of the presence of violence.” Echoing such criticism the Council on American-Islamic Relations protested that "In this film, the Muslims have total disregard for human life." The groups were “faxing and calling news organizations on a regular basis” to voice their concerns.cite web|date= November 5, 1998 | title=Muslims feel under siege from Hollywood| url= http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/popcult/handouts/demoniz/TERR05.htm]

Director Edward Zwick had met with Arab Americans, who suggested that the story be changed to mirror the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, when Arabs were immediately assumed responsible. This idea was rejected. Zwick noted that "The Siege"'s villains also include members of the U.S. government, and dismissed the criticism, saying, “Anytime you talk about issues that touch on religion of any kind, you can anticipate this kind of reaction. Should we only present every group as paragons and monoliths of virtue? The movie inspires to engender this kind of dialogue. I happen to come from the school that thinks that movies should not only make you comfortable, they might make you think. …You can anticipate any kind of reaction in these times in which sensitivity seems very high in the culture. I have a friend who says, if you've not offended somebody, you're a nobody. …How does it feel to be a lightning rod? It gets the blood going. I think it's better than being universally ignored. In a culture where there seems to be so much to talk about, it's good to be talked about."

In a Sept. 2007 interview, [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/09/sunday/main3244713.shtml "Reporting The Bin Laden Beat" CBS News, Sept. 10, 2007] ] screenwriter Lawrence Wright attributed the film's box office failure to Muslim and Arab protests at theaters playing the film, asserting that it was the most rented movie in America after the September 11 attacks.

See also

* Politics in fiction

References

External links

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