The Siege - Terrorism in NYC Before 9/11

This was one of those films I never thought I was going to see.  The first few times I was exposed to The Siege, I always saw part of it and never the whole thing.  After September 11th, with my husband being a New York City bus operator, certain scenes hit too close to home and it was relegated to films I'd wish I'd seen.  With nine years gone and no longer living in the metropolitan New York area, I thought perhaps I would be able to finally seeThe Siege in its entirety.

U.S. operatives abduct a bin Laden-like Sheik and religious leader believe to be responsible for recent bombings of U.S. forces in the Middle East. As his sympathizers retalliate inside the U.S. the results are devastating.  What's even more devastating is the heavy-handed reaction by agents of our own government.

Denzel Washington is FBI Agent Anthony Hubbard based out of New York City.  He encounters CIA Operative Elise Kraft (portrayed by Annette Bening) while trying to flush out a potential terrorist cell operating out of Brooklyn.  Fate has them together when terrorists take control of a New York City bus and blow it up for the cameras.

Hubbard and his men believe they have tracked down the men responsible when there is another bombing in a packed theatre.  New York City seems to be under siege as people are afraid to go out of their homes.  When the FBI itself is attacked, the President declares Martial Law and the Army marches into New York.

I could say a lot of this was prophetic, especially how Hubbard reacts to the use of torture as a means to get information.  Thankfully, New York and the country did not descend to these depths after 9/11 although there were some people who responded quite similarly.  They didn't care about people being snatched off the street, as long as it wasn't happening to them.  The same is true here.  I think watching this film in 1998 when it was first released and watching it after 9/11 are two entirely different experiences.  I’d also dare say that if you watched it within the first year after 9/11 and lived in the New York City metropolitan area or Washington DC you would have a different experience.   The story moves along quite well.  At the time The Siege was made, it might have seemed sensationalized and hard to believe, I would dare say now it’s less so.  It moves quite fluidly between the attacks and the catching those responsible and the public reaction; something that could have ended up disjointed.  It doesn’t feel like there are two different stories going on which is the fear when working with a story like this.

The acting here is first-rate and I do mean that.  Tony Shalhoub is excellent here in a different role for him as an Arab-American FBI agent, Frank Haddad.  I’m used to seeing him as a comedic character but he handles the serious roles quite well.  Denzel is, well, Denzel.  I have yet to see him disappoint and here he is compelling as he tries to do his job against the backdrop of what’s happening as well as his conflicted conscience.  Willis is rather one-dimensional but he does it well.  Bening is perhaps the most uneven but that works well for her character and what she’s immersed in. 

If you’re like me and you’ve avoided this film, I understand why and don’t blame you.  At the least try the first few minutes and see if you can handle it.  It took me nine years to be able to see it, and it’s well worth viewing.