THE SIEGE

Directed by

Starring: Denzel Washington,

Annette Bening, Bruce Willis

Twentieth Century Fox Studios

Billed as a "reality" movie, The Siege presents the all-too-plausible scenario of a group of terrorists wreaking havoc in New York City while our government leaders fumble and search for ways to cope. Following the bombing of American embassies in Africa by Muslim extremists and other escalating terrorist advances against the U.S., the film depicts events very similar to those that are happening around us, much as Primary Colors did about the Clinton sex scandal.

An action film taut with suspense, The Siege has also raised the ire of Arab-American groups fuming at yet another portrayal of Arabs as crazed religious zealots and bombers. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has demanded that the religious symbols be removed from the film, fearing another rise in the already prevalent hate crimes against Muslims. Hopefully, once these groups see the film however, they will realize that it makes a concerted and obvious attempt toward the opposite direction and seeks to raise awareness of the dangers of this prominent stereotype.

Denzel Washington is Anthony Hubbard, the ultra-intense head of the combined FBI/NYPD terrorism division in New York City. Strongly reminiscent of Courage Under Fire and Crimson Tide, Washington plays the familiar uptight keeper of morals and courage that he always does brilliantly, and he singularly maintains the drive in the film. Bruce Willis is General Will Deveraux of the Army, the blindly obedient servant to his country who puts his allegiance to the flag above any personal morals. Unfortunately, he appears disappointingly infrequently in the film, and his part seems little more than an expanded cameo. Annette Bening is a covert CIA officer, Elise Kraft, whose motives remain multi-faceted and unclear, and while sexual tension surrounds her interaction with Hubbard, she has eyes only for a possible ally of the terrorists. Tony Shalhoub is an Arab-American FBI agent caught in the middle of the debacle, and as someone who has deliberately avoided playing to the Arab mold throughout his career, his appearance lends credence to the non-racist nature of the film.

The tension builds in The Siege as the terrorists blow up a bus full of people, a packed theater on Broadway and threaten a room of schoolchildren. Despite the desperate manhunt being carried on by Hubbard and Bening, the government is forced to react as more people are killed and the public cries for action. In comes General Deveraux, with thousands of soldiers and tanks, blockading the Brooklyn Bridge and sealing off the entire borough of Brooklyn. Martial law is declared and all Arab men are rounded up and sent to concentration camps set up in the city, similar to the way the Japanese were treated in World War II. Relations flare up between our trio of characters, who are all trying to resolve the crisis through their own means. The film is meant to make us question how we would react if, or even when, this situation arises and does so with moderate success.

Despite a lack of vibrant action scenes, The Siege still manages to keep things interesting. As patience grows short in the city, it seems at first that the city will become Balkanized as Arabs are subject to racial violence, and the police are needed to protect them. Once the Army steps in however, the city begins to bull back together to support the Arab community and to resist what is seen as the heavy hand of the federal government. Those who have decried the film as racist are correct in that yes this is another film about shady Arabs, but the film seeks to redeem itself by having the government take extreme measures against all Arabs, thereby overtly demonstrating the evil in broad prejudices. Unfortunately, the approach seems a bit simplistic, although it is still a point well made.

The Siegehas many shortfalls, including two-dimensional characters. Some are even incomprehensible, such as the character of Elise Kraft. The climax has potential, but ends up as a typical action stand-off with few deviations. Bruce Willis seems confused, as his character initially warns the government against an army invasion; yet moments later, he has morphed into a power-hungry zealot, relentlessly pursuing all those he views as enemies of the state, Hubbard included. The Siege has its thrills and suspenses, and its big name cast shouldn't fail to lure the crowds, but don't expect much more than a typical action flick with a twist of modern-day relevance.