Enemy of the State

The dark alleys and crowded streets of Washington, D.C. serve as the backdrop for a thrilling game of cat and mouse in Tony Scott's 1998 action spy thriller, Enemy of the State. The film stars Will Smith as Robert "Bobby" Dean, a well-respected but unassuming labor lawyer who's living a comfortable life with his wife and young son. Christmas shopping with his college buddy, Brant (Rodney Dangerfield), sets in motion a chain of events that will disrupt Dean's tranquil existence forever. While out running errands, Dean stumbles upon a DVD of a congressman's assassination in a parking lot, courtesy of a generous stranger. Unbeknownst to Dean, this seemingly innocuous act has set him squarely in the crosshairs of a top-secret National Security Agency (NSA) task force. The ruthless and cunning Agent Robert Clayton Dean, known simply as Reynolds, (Jon Voight) sees this DVD as a means to justify a dangerous new level of surveillance over the American public, and Dean, in particular, has become his unwitting test case. As we delve deeper into the world of high-stakes espionage, the stakes are raised exponentially. With the NSA deploying state-of-the-art satellite surveillance and advanced snooping technology, Brant and Dean soon realize that their phones, homes, and even daily routines are under constant scrutiny. Despite being innocent, Dean is left fighting for his life, while simultaneously attempting to unravel the tangled threads of his increasingly sinister reality. Enter the enigmatic and persuasive Brill (Gene Hackman), a retired NSA intelligence operative with an air of authority and credibility that quickly earns Dean's trust. With Brill's guidance, Dean embarks on a perilous game of survival, navigating treacherous digital terrain, confronting deadly hitmen, and facing off against his overzealous nemesis, Reynolds. Together, the unlikely duo endeavors to outmaneuver their shadowy pursuers and reclaim Dean's life from the sinister forces that seek to obliterate it. As the claustrophobic pursuit accelerates, the white-knuckled action unfolds with a blend of genuine tension, razor-sharp suspense, and a glimmer of social commentary. While the threat of mass surveillance looms at the fringes of the plot, the core dynamics between Brill, Dean, and Reynolds generate a pulse-pounding cat-and-mouse chase that will keep viewers guessing until the thrilling conclusion. Throughout the film, visuals burst with neon colors, high-speed car chases abound, and camera angles careen wildly between close-ups, sweeping cityscapes, and frenetic handheld shots, accentuating the urgency of Dean's situation. Set against this hyperkinetic backdrop, Smith brings a sensitive and relatable presence to his portrayal of Dean, underscoring the fallacy of a supposedly 'secure' world that rapidly unravels once the high-tech vise tightens. However, both Dean and Brill also encounter episodes of disquieting paralysis, as they confront an eerie suspicion of the United States being an omnipresent 'omnipyre'. While that seems somewhat extreme, the possibility cannot be altogether dismissed. Ruefully underscoring its message of escalating unease and fear, Enemy of the State makes an incisive commentary about the country that, by implication, permits potential voyeurism in the pursuit of higher interests by turning onto themselves before turning anything else. "The National Security Agency's now using them for the people, I'd say, rather than to protect the nation," Brill utters quietly in the background amidst the heavy suspense while urging on Dean. Enemy of the State has gone down in history as an unforgettable, eerily prophetic, cinematic foray into our deepening digital landscape. With heart-stopping velocity and an unrelenting scope, Scott paints a chilling, high-tech picture of America's very darkest corners lurking under various types of seemingly secure government protection - creating concerns which some have directly linked to both Edward Snowden and more lately our more recent surveillance controversies.