 The Siege (1998) The premise is that a bunch of faceless Arab terrorists are setting off bombs at various inconvenient locations around New York City: a crowded bus, the opera, etc. As a result of this escalating violence, the President passes martial law for NYC to hunt down the perpetrators. Denzel Washington is a conscientious FBI agent who, along with his partner, played by Shalhoub, is justifiably concerned about the military treading on civil rights to meet their ends. Bruce Willis is the one-note army general (captain? corporal? ranks confuse the hell out of me) who will do anything to get his man, including torture and murder. Zwick, who directed Legends of the Fall, the dumbest pseudo-epic of recent memory, is the clumsiest philosopher this side of Snoopy, and fails on all accounts to deliver "thrills," "suspense," "intelligence," and all other required elements of successful political thrillers. Part of the problem is his preposterous treatment of "the Arabs"—the first half of the film sets up the entire Arab world to be dangerous, shifty-eyed terrorists who should get what they deserve, while the second half of the film works furiously to reverse this sentiment and make all Arabs seem like saintly victims, devoted family members, patriotic Americans. Both are ham-fisted stereotypes of the Sambo variety, and leave no middle ground or ambiguity. I suppose the issue is that, after making them all out to be evil and alien, any attempt on the director's part to make Arabs in general seem even remotely human smacks of misguided political correctness, and feels patently false. I suppose I'd feel more insulted on behalf of Arabs in general—whose feelings and sympathies are, like Ed Zwick's I'm sure, far more complex than displayed here—if everyone else had a brilliantly written part. This is not so—everyone in this film is a stereotype. Washington is the classic good-guy-in-a-white-hat, never questioning his motives, his alliances, or his judgment; Bening's character, a mysterious CIA operative with curious ties to the middle east, is a pathetically random contrivance; and Willis smirks his way through a role that belongs in one of Steven Seagal's movies. The only player to come out unscathed is the always likeable Shalhoub ("Wings," "Monk," Big Night, and the underrated Quick Change). As the token Arab, Shalhoub actually manages to bring dignity and humor to his role, which is more than can be said for the script or any of the other actors, including and especially Washington, who is self-righteous to the point of self-worship. Every element of The Siege is stupid, including many of the terrorist attacks. My favorite moment came when, after the bombing on Broadway in Manhattan, a woman in a beautiful gown stumbles down the burned steps. She turns to reveal—GASP!—HER ARM IS BLOWN OFF! So what exactly is the movie trying to say, anyway? That terrorism is more terrible when it maims and kills rich socialites in Manhattan, or a bunch of innocent Brooklynites on a bus? That somehow as an audience we should feel more fear and concern than when the same thing happens to an Israeli or an Argentinean or an Oklahoman or even a Palestinian? That the film plays off the fear of terrorism striking "at home" only makes it more obsolete nowadays. I mean, the whole actual World Trade Center contretemps was a lot more fun to watch than this piece of dogshit.
Review by Crimedog |
