The Siege Movie Review 1998

Controversial political suspense/action movie caused quite a ruckus when first released. Although protested by Arab-American groups for alleged negative stereotyping, it actually points the finger at the U.S. military as the bad guys. First half centers on FBI honcho Hubbard (Washington) and his prominently Lebanese-American partner Haddad (Shaloub) as they try to stop terrorist bombings of New York. After the bombings escalate, martial law is declared in Brooklyn. Under semi-fascist Gen. Devereaux, all Constitutional rights are suspended and young Arab-Americans are rounded up and imprisoned. Hubbard forms a shaky alliance with shady CIA lady Elise Kraft to break the terrorist ring and restore freedom. Substitutes cardboard cutouts spouting political platitudes for characters.

Distribution

Fox Home Entertainment, PO Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213, Phone: (310)369-3900, Toll-free: 888-223-4FOX, Fax: (310)369-5811, URL: http://www.foxmovies.com/index1.html, Remarks: Also known as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 116 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Adventure Drama, Boom!, Buses, Concentration/Internment Camps, Military: Army, New York, New York, Patriotism & Paranoia, Terrorism, FBI, CIA/NSA

Screenplay

Edward Zwick, Menno Meyjes, Lawrence Wright

Cast

Denzel Washington, Tony Shalhoub, Annette Bening, Bruce Willis, Sami Bouajila, David Proval, Jack Gwaltney, Chip Zien, Victor Slezak, Will Lyman, Dakin Matthews, John Rothman, E. Katherine Kerr, Jimmie Ray Weeks, Lance Reddick, Mark Valley, Liana Pai, Amro Salama

Cinematography

Roger Deakins

Director

Edward Zwick

Music

Graeme Revell

Awards

Golden Raspberries 1998: Worst Actor (Willis).