The Siege: Denzel's Anti Torture speech (1998)

Run time: 02:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaE766EVocc   Posted on YouTube: November 26, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: November 26, 2007 By DU Member: Mugsy Views on DU: 4816

 
I had never seen this movie before. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this scene on TV tonight:


Before 9/11, before GWB became President, a movie about a series of terrorist attacks in NYC leads to the President suspending the Constitution and declaring Martial Law.

In this scene, the General in charge (Willis) is about to use torture to interrogate an American Muslim suspect as a matter of expediency. FBI Agent Hubbard (Denzel Washington) reacts to the General's plan with outrage.

Remember, this clip is from *1998*.

Am I spelling that right?

I saw the movie when it came out on VHS, it's not that exceptional, a far cry from citizen cane, but I watched it on cable a few months ago and it is eerie how closely this film is mirrored by present day. While the film is generally sub-par, Denzel's speech is eloquent, this is one of the fundamental disagreements between the right and left, today, that national security is of great importance, but not at the cost of our principles which are the bedrock of our democracy.

but it can't get posted enough. K&R

Here it is at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Siege-Martial-Law-Denzel-Washington/dp/B000OT6V0K/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1196078068&sr=1-1 I've had very good luck with "Used, Good" in the past, but at less than $14 w/shipping, I played it 'safe' and ordered it "New".

I've already watched it twice in the past month, and I may view it again today. I'm not a movie 'buff', and hadn't seen enough of Bruce Willis to have formed a prior opinion about him. But I think he played the part very well, and that's all that matters. Unless he deliberately makes a big thing about it, I really don't give a rat's rectum about his political beliefs.

pnorman

I'm very curious about that. I would expect two possible reasons if it has not: 1) The broadcasting corporations would be afraid of possible charges of exploiting 9-11 for ratings with a movie about terrorist attacks in NY, or 2) Because of the opinion in the movie (as declared by Denzel) that the threat of terrorism is not a justification to give up our ideals or freedoms, which has most definitely become a liberal left opinion, when before it would have been considered simply an American opinion.

But as the Republicans like to say: "Everything changed after 9-11." A question I have not heard people discuss, which is related to the speech in the clip, is that if we do give up our freedoms, and start torturing, and slaughtering civilians, etc. - in essence, if we become like them, the terrorists - then why are we fighting them? The only reason left would be simply that we're not Arabs and they are, or we live here and they're supposed to live over there. Any mission to defend civilization or resist radicalism is reduced to simply a war of territory or race.

My local station played it last night, which is where I took the clip from.

It was a VERY interesting night on local TV Sunday. First, one channel showed "An American President" with Michael Douglas (and oddly enough, also with Annette Bening). Then I turned the channel to catch the end of The Siege followed by "The Day After Tomorrow"... neither of which have aired on Network TV most likely due to their "political" story-lines.

The movie has been playing a good deal recently. In the last few days I have seen the movie listed in the TV listing a number of times. In addition, I think it was played on TV a few years ago.

I had company at the time and we just felt like we were in a time warp or something. AND, I do believe I posted about this too.

Hey, it only took a few hours to draw my first Comment (visit the video on YouTube) from some mouth-breathing junior fascist.

Check it out. Fun stuff! :)

Excellent movie as well.

I was driving into the City one afternoon across the Brooklyn Bridge and was one of the last cars let through the set dresed to look like a checkpoint before they closed it for shooting. I was very creepy to drive around barbed wire fencing, Humvees and "soldiers", even knowing that is was a movie set. Gave me chills at the idea that such a thing could ever happen.

I saw the movie a short while after 9/11. It was a pretty good movie at the time. It is now somewhat surprising that things in the movie are somewhat similar to the things that are happening today.

The clip made me think where is our agent Hubbard. At first I thought, well we have Senator Feingold. Then I thought I guess those 50 generals/admirals who were fired by Bush for not supporting his plan were also our agent Hubbards. However, it seems we need a few more agent Hubbards, especially on the Democratic side.

So many people who are wise in the ways of the world have seen this kind of path. It didn't surprise me that this would happen, but it chills me to thing leaving this path might be seen as too difficult for a great many, and impossible for a few in power.

in the FBI, who've been complaining about the treatment of Detainees at Gitmo since it was opened for "Enemy Combatants."

Vyan

Mugsy

Rembember that movie, have it on DVD, and I was terrified, but I know it was just a movie and I know that "the nice gays" allways win in american mowie.. Even that it "May" produce some "good" innformation, that it was wrong, dead wrong to use torture

And now, we DO have a american Administration, who not just condone the use of Torture, but are using it, and work to get it into the LAW OF THE LAND...

Think about it, a movie from the 1990s forsaw what it happening to United States of America today..long before 11 of sept 2001.. Long before Mr Bush "was ellected" as the President of this country.. Long before mr Osama Bin Laden blow up the twin-towers.. Long before all the war in Iraq..

I hope, that in time this movie wil go back to just be a movie.. Where the General in sarge is put into arrest, and releaved of comand. As the General in this movie also was been doing.. After that it was prowen that the man who was in custody was cleared of sharges..

If you want to use torture, you have to be DAM sure that the man/woman you vant to torture are not inocent.. If he is and you still torture the man/womena, you are in so deep in trubles, and the country in so deep in trubles.. Becouse if many enough loose suport in the country, they may use the type of wiolence you fear them for using...

And the same is the case in Iraq and other places where United States soldiers are torturing, murdering muslims, or peopole of all fates if they belive they are not to be trusted.. They loose the little faith in US they have, and if/when they are cleared of charges they may use wiolence against US, anywhere in the world to get even.. Even that it maybee mean that many american wil be killed... The rage of a human who are been unjustly accused of someting can be extremely dangrous...

And if I dont reconise it wrong. When the arrest of all muslim men was lifted, it was also a little speach man to man between Denzel Washington and a father, whoes son was killed by a guard "just doing his work". The man say to Washington "who can trust a american longer, who can trust that they are not to be arrested, not to be humalited, not to be killed. We as muslims are not trusting the goverment in US today.. You have lost a lot this days... more than you may want to know".. Or it was something like that..
Diclotican

Sorry my bad engelish, not my native language

Excellent film and Denzel gives an outstanding performance.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092804/

for every High School Social Studies and American History Class in the Country - because we seem to have completely forgotten What America is Supposed TO BE!

Vyan

I strongly encourage everyone who hasn't seen the movie to go out and rent it or buy it because it is one of the best movies to deal with today's political atmosphere. When it first came out it was a decent film, but by no means great. Viewing it today however is a completely different experience, because what was fiction in 1998 is fact today and it is hard to believe this film is nearly ten years old. How far our country has sunk in such a short time.

AMAZED at the similarities of the America of today. I think I posted something at the time, but got very few responses. This is uncanny to say the least.

As for Bruce Willis, I think he has since decided he's and Independent and no longer supports The Idiot, Decider! That's the last I heard anyway.

Art should be imitating life.

I rented this movie a few years ago and I was astonished at its prescience. This was made BEFORE 9/11 and it was so relevant to the turn of events since the decider guy has been in the White House.
As for Denzel Washington's speech - my jaw dropped when I heard it.
I saw the movie on cable the other night and I was as spellbound then as I was a few years ago.
I can't get over that this was made years before 9/11 and it appears to be a near-script for current events.

Washington is great. Willis doesn't compare, in my opinion.

The clip is straight on target.

last week. Everything he said has been happening.