The Siege
The secret US abduction of a suspected terrorist from his Middle East homeland leads to a wave of terrorist attacks in New York. An FBI senior agent and his team attempt to locate and decommission the enemy cells, but must also deal with an Army General gone rogue and a female CIA agent of uncertain loyalties.
Working with a moderate budget of $70.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $116.7M in global revenue (+67% profit margin).
2 wins & 4 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Siege (1998) demonstrates meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Edward Zwick's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 56 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes FBI Agent Anthony Hubbard leads a counter-terrorism task force in New York City, operating in a world of routine surveillance and investigation. His professional competence and belief in due process define his status quo.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when A terrorist bomb destroys a Brooklyn bus, killing multiple civilians. This first major attack on American soil disrupts the status quo and transforms Hubbard's routine counter-terrorism work into an urgent crisis demanding immediate response.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to A second, larger bombing at a Broadway theater kills hundreds. Hubbard makes the active choice to fully commit to stopping the terror cells at all costs, accepting that the investigation will become all-consuming and acknowledging this is a new kind of war., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat The FBI headquarters building is bombed, killing over 600 people including many of Hubbard's colleagues. This devastating false defeat raises the stakes exponentially and triggers the President's decision to declare martial law in Brooklyn, fundamentally changing the game., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 87 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Frank Haddad's son is taken to an internment camp, and a suspect dies under torture by military forces. The "whiff of death" is both literal (the tortured prisoner) and metaphorical (the death of American constitutional values). Hubbard realizes the price of security has become too high., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 93 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Hubbard leads the final operation to capture the remaining terrorist cell using proper law enforcement methods. He simultaneously confronts General Devereaux, arresting him for violating civil rights and the Constitution, asserting that the rule of law must prevail even in crisis., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Siege's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Siege against these established plot points, we can identify how Edward Zwick utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Siege within the drama genre.
Edward Zwick's Structural Approach
Among the 10 Edward Zwick films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Siege represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Edward Zwick filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Edward Zwick analyses, see Courage Under Fire, Blood Diamond and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
FBI Agent Anthony Hubbard leads a counter-terrorism task force in New York City, operating in a world of routine surveillance and investigation. His professional competence and belief in due process define his status quo.
Theme
CIA operative Elise Kraft warns: "The CIA doesn't operate on American soil." This statement foreshadows the central thematic question: What happens when security and liberty collide, and how far should America go to protect itself?
Worldbuilding
Establishment of post-Cold War New York as a target for terrorism, introduction of Hubbard's FBI team, his relationship with partner Frank Haddad, and the complex intelligence landscape involving CIA operations. The world of legitimate law enforcement vs. shadowy intelligence operations is defined.
Disruption
A terrorist bomb destroys a Brooklyn bus, killing multiple civilians. This first major attack on American soil disrupts the status quo and transforms Hubbard's routine counter-terrorism work into an urgent crisis demanding immediate response.
Resistance
Hubbard debates how to handle the investigation within legal boundaries while CIA operative Elise provides intelligence about the terrorist cells. Introduction of General William Devereaux, who represents the military option. Hubbard resists abandoning constitutional protections despite mounting pressure.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
A second, larger bombing at a Broadway theater kills hundreds. Hubbard makes the active choice to fully commit to stopping the terror cells at all costs, accepting that the investigation will become all-consuming and acknowledging this is a new kind of war.
Mirror World
Hubbard's partnership with Frank Haddad, an Arab-American agent, deepens as a mirror to the film's theme. Their relationship represents the ideal of multicultural cooperation and civil rights that will be tested as the crisis escalates.
Premise
The "promise of the premise" - intense investigation, raids on terrorist cells, moral complexity of interrogations, and the cat-and-mouse pursuit of sleeper cells. Hubbard navigates the tension between effective investigation and protecting civil liberties while bombings continue.
Midpoint
The FBI headquarters building is bombed, killing over 600 people including many of Hubbard's colleagues. This devastating false defeat raises the stakes exponentially and triggers the President's decision to declare martial law in Brooklyn, fundamentally changing the game.
Opposition
General Devereaux's army takes control of Brooklyn, establishing internment camps for Arab men. Hubbard opposes the martial law while trying to continue his investigation. The antagonistic forces of military authority and erosion of civil rights intensify, making Hubbard's job harder and testing his principles.
Collapse
Frank Haddad's son is taken to an internment camp, and a suspect dies under torture by military forces. The "whiff of death" is both literal (the tortured prisoner) and metaphorical (the death of American constitutional values). Hubbard realizes the price of security has become too high.
Crisis
Hubbard faces his dark night: the methods he opposed have failed, innocent people suffer, and the very principles he fought to protect have been suspended. He must find a way forward that doesn't abandon either security or liberty.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Hubbard leads the final operation to capture the remaining terrorist cell using proper law enforcement methods. He simultaneously confronts General Devereaux, arresting him for violating civil rights and the Constitution, asserting that the rule of law must prevail even in crisis.