Enemy of the State (1998)
When buildings start blowing up, people’s priorities tend to change.
THE SUMMARY: A humble labor lawyer’s lingerie shopping brings him evidence incriminating the deep state, so he dodges surveillance and recruits an insider to help him dupe the Italian mob and the government mob into a fatal shootout. It’s absolutely eerie how prophetic this movie is, and it’s so good I forget how much I hate Will Smith.
FROM MOVIE-PICKER SWIFTNER: A 1998 glimpse at our dystopian present. The NSA refused to cooperate with the production. Aerial footage of their headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland had to be shot from public air space. Jon Voight's character’s birthday is September 11. Ironically, the surveillance society Hammersley mentions eventually became the Patriot Act passed under the Bush administration post-9/11, only three years after the movie's premiere.
THE BEST:
The absolute prophecy of it all: It’s not just broad themes of surrendering liberty and privacy in favor of a centralized security state, though those are timeless and important to think carefully about - it’s the eerie 9/11 specificity with which this movie does it. In the opening conversation between Congressman Hammersley and the antagonist NSA agent Reynolds, Hammersley scoffs at the name of the bill: ‘the Telecommunications Security and Privacy Act?! Invasion of privacy is more like it!’ When Dean’s wife is watching CNN, the guest says ‘when buildings start blowing up, people’s priorities change.’ Reynolds’ birthday is 9/11.
These are all part of a series of details that describe or reference how 9/11 led to the Patriot Act only a few years after this movie was made. Not that it would have been impossible to foresee such a thing, but it’s so accurate it makes me wonder if the NSA actually did help make the movie just to show us how they did all of it and laugh at us because they know we won’t do a damn thing about it. In fact, we’ll pay admission and double candy price for it.
The movie’s prophecies aren’t strictly 9/11-related, either. The opening Arkancide assassination of the congressman is very Clinton-esque, though of course that wouldn’t really be prophecy. More of a re-enactment of the time, if the ‘tinfoil’ is to be believed. And the fact that the NSA ‘hoax-hated’ Dean’s apartment with graffiti to frame others is classic. I could certainly believe the NSA is a more prolific hate hoaxer than the ADL or the SPLC.
I’ve been a law abiding citizen my whole life: There’s a great moment when Dean and Brill are setting up bugs to frame the NSA and Dean says to Brill, ‘I’ve been a law-abiding citizen my whole life. One day with you, and I’m shooting, and breaking, and [committing various crimes, etc.]’ Truthfully, it’s not Brill that brought Dean into a life of chaos and criminality. The criminality of the NSA did that. It’s a classic theme this show and the audience visit constantly - when they bring the war to you, what are the moral considerations of fighting back? Is it ethical to fight fire with fire? If you abandon right and wrong to defeat the enemy, at what point do you become the enemy?
As always, I’m much more sympathetic with defensive action than aggressive or preventive. This movie is a squarely defensive case. If they won’t stop hounding you, ya gotta outhound ‘em, and it’s entertaining to watch NSA tactics take out the NSA. If they bring the fight, beat them with their own moves. Nothing unfair about it.
Incredible ending: Which brings us to the climactic conclusion. Not only is it a satisfying way to tie up all the plot lines of the mob boss tape, the politician assassination tape, and both parties’ pursuit of Dean, but it’s philosophically rich. When the actual mafia points guns at the deep state and vice versa, who is the real villain? Who is the real mob? Why, exactly, have we ever accepted the premise that there’s any moral distinction between the two? If anything, the Italians are the better guys - they actually have an honest business in the restaurant. What does faith in these people bring, other than death and destruction? And just how can we inspire our enemies to shoot each other in the same way? Hypothetically, Susan. Or Neal. Or whoever’s in charge of banning me these days.
Dumpster defender cameo: Finding clips from this movie is proving tougher than others, so I can’t show it in action, but I do appreciate that the famed ‘dumpster defender’ shotgun made a cameo in the chase scene after Brill blows up his HQ. Likely not the exact same gun, but a very similar setup. Short barrel, no stock, raptor grip.
Cyclist gets what he deserves: The only part that had me cheering for the NSA was when they gave a cyclist exactly what he deserves. What a magnificent splatter. Best part of a great movie.
A+ ending
Dean defends the dumpster… or the trainyard.
Scrub to the end for a happy cyclist ending
THE WORST:
The ‘comic relief’ of Seth Green and Jack Black: In ways, you could argue I should appreciate this goon squad for making the surveillance state look exactly as pathetic and cringe as they are, but these breaks in the action for crappy jokes about satellite design or haircut styles mostly cut against what are otherwise excellent scripting and characters. As always with these two, when you see Seth Green and Jack Black, you know exactly who they’re gonna be, and it’s exactly who they are in this one. Mediocre, throwaway ‘comedy’ that brings more eye rolls than laughs.
The ‘fascists’ are portrayed as ‘right wing’: Reynolds dismisses criticism of his bill as ‘liberal hysteria.’ The journalist Zavitz contacts about the assassination tape, and thus an opponent of the NSA, is described as a left-wing activist. When Dean’s wife is watching TV in the kitchen, she’s outraged at the ‘fascist gas bag’ Republican talking about the bill. There are several instances implying the surveillance state is ‘right wing,’ and the opposition is leftist. These themes remind me a lot of V for Vendetta - spot on about the authoritarianism, other than misdiagnosing progressives as the good guys, at least in the current political setting. I don’t dock significantly for that because power grabs can come from all perspectives, and I don’t think this movie is preachy about partisan politics. Even less so than Vendetta, which had that preposterous imprisoned lesbian scene.
Dean rejects the Hawaiian shirt: When Dean and Brill return to Brill’s apartment after he blows up his HQ, Brill offers Dean a choice of shirts from his closet. Dean refuses the Hawaiian shirt. Unacceptable. Not only is the floral print the correct fashion choice, it’s also the pick for these political themes.
Jack Black hears everything.
The choice was obvious.
EXTRA POINT FOR DEBATE: IS ENEMY OF THE STATE A CHRISTMAS MOVIE? We discussed the standard when reviewing the movie most commonly referenced in deciding what is and is not a Christmas movie: Die Hard. Christmas must impact the plot. A Christmas movie isn’t defined simply by the passing presence of a tree, or the soft sound of a carol in the background, or a momentary ‘ho ho ho.’ Christmas must change the movie’s story in a significant way.
On a surface level, it doesn’t seem like Christmas has that role in Enemy of the State. It’s mostly just background material, hardly present. However, I must note the entire reason Dean is shopping for lingerie for his wife… is to get her a Christmas gift. If there’s no Christmas shopping, there’s no video drop from Zavitz. If there’s no video drop from Zavitz, then Dean never becomes the ‘enemy of the state.’ So yes, as absurd as it sounds to me writing this, Enemy of the State is indeed a Christmas movie.
No Christmas shopping, no plot development
THE RATING: 5/5 Wickies. Important philosophical and political themes to ponder, after they already happened almost exactly as this movie foretold. I expected to suffer through Will Smith nonsense. I was pleasantly surprised with genuine excellence.
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NEXT WEEK: Blazing Saddles (1974)
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