Siege (Blu-ray) (1998)

Editor's Note When the U.S. military abducts a Muslim leader, New York City becomes the target of several terrorist attacks in this gripping political thriller ripped from newspaper headlines. Denzel Washington stars as Anthony "Hub" Hubbard, the head of the FBI terrorism task force who is charge of investigating the bombings. Ironically, Hub's partner, Frank Haddad (Tony Shalhoub), is Arab-American and must fight for his family's rights as the citizens of New York become increasingly paranoid about the Arab-American population. Elise Kraft (Annette Bening) is an undercover CIA official and Middle East expert who is also investigating the terrorist attacks and joins Hub and Frank as they search for the terrorists. As Hub, Elise, and Frank work to uncover the source of the terrorism, the city erupts in escalating madness, spiraling out of control until the government sends in General William Devereaux (Bruce Willis), who takes over the city and declares martial law. Ultimately, the government seizes the male Arab-American population of New York in makeshift internment camps in this incredibly relevant and cautionary thriller that examines the real dilemma of how a democratic society can uphold the rights of its citizens while under military protection. Director Edward Zwick's film features excellent performances from an all-star cast and includes real footage of President Clinton addressing the problem of terrorism.

	Bruce Willis
	Denzel Washington
	Annette Bening
	Tony Shalhoub
	Liana Pai
	Sami Bouajila
	Ann Roth - Costume Designer
	Steven Rosenblum - Editor
	Graeme Revell - Composer
	Lynda Obst - Producer
	Edward Zwick - Producer
	Lilly Kilvert - Production Designer
	Chris Shriver - Art Director
	Menno Meyjes - Screenwriter
	Edward Zwick - Screenwriter
	Roger Deakins - Director of Photography
	Lawrence Wright - Screenwriter
	Edward Zwick - Director

In Edward Zwick's THE SIEGE, New York City becomes the target of several terrorist attacks after the U.S. military captures a Muslim leader. Government officials try to contain the escalating madness, but when it spirals out of control, martial law is declared. Entertainment Weekly
"...A provocative, incendiary subject....Points the way for Bening as a soulful nerotic siren of the Faye Dunaway school..." 11/13/1998 pp.47-50

USA Today
"...Denzel Washington is fun to watch..." 11/27/1998 p.6E

Box Office
"...Washington is perfectly cast as the film's conscience and voice of reason. Shalhoub, in a more dramatic turn than usual, is believable and effective..." 12/01/1998 p.42

Los Angeles Times
"...THE SIEGE is a political thriller with more plausibility -- and yes, more thrills -- than most....It's a pleasure to have actors of this caliber working together....THE SIEGE also benefits from being well-crafted..." 11/06/1998 p.C1

Premiere
3 stars out of 4 -- "A film that was an interesting concept in 1998 and quickly became astoundingly prescient after 2001 06/15/2009