The Siege [DVD] [1999]

The Siege tells a hypothetical story about terrorist attacks on New York City by Islamic fundamentalists, and how an FBI department led by Special Agent Hubbard (Denzel Washington) tries to stop them. A CIA agent (Annette Bening) is also involved, and refuses to cooperate with the FBI, at least at first. When the attacks continue and the FBI and police are unable to stop them, President Bill Clinton imposes martial law and U.S. Army units under General Devereaux (Bruce Willis) occupy and isolate Brooklyn and round up all the young Arab men and place them in an internment camp. This leads to several consequences and to a final showdown that will not be revealed here.

The Siege was controversial already in 1998 when it was released: the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Council on American-Islamic Relations both protested strenuously and said the movie was offensive and discriminatory. After the 9/11-2001 terrorist attacks on the United States it can be seen that the movie was in some ways prescient: it practically predicted terrorist attacks on New York by Islamic fundamentalists, a fatal lack of cooperation between the FBI and the CIA, and the imposition of measures that reduced civil liberties for average Americans.

In fact, the key conflict in The Siege is not the conflict between the terrorists and the law enforcement agencies. The key conflict is an ideological one: On one hand there are those who believe that all possible means, including the use of torture and the detention and isolation of suspects with no access to legal process, can be necessary responses to a terrorist threat. On the other hand there are those who believe that use of torture and the reduction of civil liberties can never be justified, and that if one resorts to these measures then one has handed victory to the terrorists.

It is the emphasis of this ideological conflict that makes The Siege so thought provoking and leads me to award it five stars.

Others have panned The Siege as being too anti-military, claiming that the imposition of martial law is farfetched and the U.S. military depicted as too inhumane. Here it must be pointed out that in the hypothetical situation presented in The Siege there was an on-going series of terrorist attacks with no end in sight, a far different situation than that experienced on 9/11-2001.

It's interesting to note that the script for The Siege was written by Lawrence Wright, who later, in 2006, wrote a book, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, and won the Pulitzer Prize for it. This book is also highly recommended.

A few words about DVD extra material. The first DVD release (2000) includes a 13-minute special feature "The Making of The Siege", which is fairly interesting but nothing very special. There is a newer DVD release (2007) subtitled "Martial Law Edition" which includes two additional special features, "The Siege: Taking New York" and "The Siege: Freedom is History". Unfortunately I haven't seen this edition yet.

Highly recommended, at least if you want more than just action and drama and enjoy thought-provoking stories.

Rennie Petersen

this film was i beileve, made before 9/11, and so has a chilling feel to it when you watch it for the first time. It is an easily watched film and has a good story behind it - action packed but without trashy hollywood over-the-topness. This, coupled with sterling performances by denzil washington and annette benning, makes for a very entertaining view.
recommended.

These 3 DVD sets are a perfect way of building your DVD collection. You could not get better value. 3 fims for only £15. These sets are no good for anyone who likes lots of Extras as the only extras on this set are the trailers. If you just like to sit down and enjoy a film without extras and commentarys they are a perfect addition to your collection. They also make replacing VHS versions cheap and affordable. These sets make excellent gifts

The packaging is compact and consists of the 3 discs in a gatefold style case the outer cover just slips over the case. The set is only slightly wider than a standard single DVD making it ideal if you have limited shelf space.

This set consists of 3 films Summarised below

Broken Arrow

Two military pilots (John Travolta, Christian Slater)engage in a no-holds-barred battle against time and each other in a race to recover two stolen nuclear warheads. When a B-3 Stealth bomber crashes in the Utah desert during a top secret test run, the military quickly moves in to retrieve its two "Broken Arrows." But the situation spins widely out of control after one of the pilots reveals the crash to be part of an incredible nuclear distortion plot. An all action thriller from director John Woo

Speed

Hold on tight for a rush of pulse-pounding thrills, breathtaking stunts and unexpectedromance in a film you'll want to see again and again Keanu Reeves stars as Jack Travis, an L.A.P.D SWAT Team specialist who is sent to defuse a bomb that a revenge-driven extortionist (Dennis Hopper) has planted on a bus. But until he does, Jack and passenger Sandrea Bullock must keep the bus speeding bhtough the streets of Los Angeles at more than 50 miles per hour - or the bomb will explode. A high octane chase of suspense, non-stop action and surprise twists, Speed is a joyride sure to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

The Siege

Bruce Willis and Denzel Washington deliver action and may hem in this thrill ride from the directer of Courage Under Fire and Glory. When a crowded city bus blows up in Brooklyn and a campaign begins to make its bloody mark on the streets of New York, Its up to FBI special agent Anthony Hubbard (Washington) and U.S Army General William Devereaux (Willis) to find out who is responsible and put an end to the destruction. Together they face explosive danger at every turn when they team up to wage an all-out war against a ruthless band of terrorists. Co-starring Annette Benning and Tony Shalhoub, The Siege is a tense and nerve-wracking action adventure that's packed with excitement and surprise.