History Film / EnemyOfTheState

* DefectorFromDecadence: Brill.

* EngineeredPublicConfession: [[spoiler:Brill and Dean try to catch Reynolds admitting to the murders. It doesn't work--Reynolds spends too much time giving a spiel about how the world is going to the dogs and [[KnightTemplar expionage has become more important than ever]] and manages to buy time for his goons to track the radio frequency of the heroes' HiddenWire and catch them both.]]

''Enemy of the State'' is a 1998 [[ConspiracyThriller spy-thriller]] film directed by Creator/TonyScott, written by David Marconi, and produced by Creator/JerryBruckheimer. The film stars Creator/WillSmith, Creator/GeneHackman, Creator/JonVoight, Lisa Bonet, Tom Sizemore, and Regina King.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Yes, the US government ''does'' have all the capabilities shown in the movie (with one exception). Well, they ''did''. In ''[[OhCrap 1988]]''.

* TakeOffYourClothes: Brill asks this to Dean in order to search for bugs. Eventually he does... [[CrowningMomentOfFunny to the enjoyment of an Asian lady.]]

* {{Cameo}}: [[spoiler:Used to good effect (provided you haven't seen the trailer) when Gabriel Byrne briefly appears, pretending to be Brill.]]

** Reynolds' goons thrash Dean's house both looking for the hidden file (they don't find it because Dean's kid took the videogame that it was hidden inside) and placing bugs on both the house and Dean's clothes. They also steal his blender.

** Also functions as a ShoutOut to [[TrueRomance an earlier film]] also directed by Tony Scott that features a famous discussion of the slur, seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3yon2GyoiM here]].

* SpySatellites: One major limitation is pointed out: the satellites are only terribly useful if the person you are trying to track ever looks up. [[GenreSavvy Brill makes a point of keeping his head level and wearing a baseball cap.]]

* GovernmentConspiracy: More specifically, of the {{NSA}}.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

A group of rogue operatives from the [[{{NSA}} National Security Agency]] kill a U.S. Senator who's set to block a bill to expand the government's authority for covert surveillance, but are caught in the act by a wildlife researcher's hidden camera. The NSA finds out about the researcher's tape, and the expanding cloud of coverups, murder and surveillance sucks in Robert Clayton Dean (Smith), a labor lawyer who unwittingly has the tape passed on to him. The NSA agents proceed to bug Dean's house and belongings, ruin his marriage, and destroy his life to get him to surrender the tape. Soon, the only friend he has is the retired NSA agent "Brill" (Hackman), who's learned how paranoid you have to be in this kind of world...

A group of rogue operatives from the [[{{NSA}} National Security Agency]] kill a U.S. Senator who's set to block a bill to expand the government's authority for covert surveillance, but are caught in the act by a wildlife researcher's hidden camera. The NSA finds out about the researcher's tape, and the expanding cloud of coverups, murder and surveillance sucks in Dean (Smith), a labor lawyer who unwittingly has the tape passed on to him. The NSA agents proceed to bug Dean's house and belongings, ruin his marriage, and destroy his life to get him to surrender the tape. Soon, the only friend he has is the retired NSA agent "Brill" (Hackman), who's learned how paranoid you have to be in this kind of world...

* ActionSurvivor: Dean has to be this if he wants to beat his enemies.
* AdultFear: The government effectively ruining your life.

* EngineeredPublicConfession: [[spoiler: It doesn't work.]]

* FakingAndEntering: Dean pretends to be a deliveryman to enter a hotel room and delay his pursuit.

* ImDyingPleaseTakeMyMacGuffin: The wildlife researcher who dumps the video onto Dean.
* ImpersonatingAnOfficer: Brill uses a Baltimore PD uniform as a disguise to meet with the bad guys. [[spoiler: Becomes a ChekhovsGun when an FBI surveillance team sees him being ushered out of a van in front of a Mafia front they are doing surveillance on.]]

* ProperlyParanoid : Brill. Then again, used to be a spook as well. Also see the TagLine.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Film/TheConversation'', to the point it's not hard to assume that Creator/GeneHackman's characters in both movies are the same person.

* SpottingTheThread: Dean becomes suspicious of [[spoiler:Brill]] due to a verbal slip up. [[spoiler: The real Brill rescues him shortly after.]]

* SurveillanceAsThePlotDemands: To the point where they can look at things explicitly out of the camera's view. At the same time, SpySatellites seem very limited.

* TouchingTheEarpiece: The NSA agents all have earpieces, mainly to receive updates from spy satellite pics taken by Mission Control. One agent in particular expects the target to emerge on his street, and fingers his earpiece because he's on a busy, noisy midtown Baltimore thoroughfare. He gets the brotherly counsel from MissionControl: "Turn around, you idiot." Ah, teamwork.

** [[spoiler:On above mention mission, Rachel's father and Brill's partner died when she was a child.]]
** [[spoiler:Both Reynolds and Pintero become this to their children after their ends in both of their deaths.]]

* SpottingTheThread : Dean becomes suspicious of [[spoiler:Brill]] due to a verbal slip up. [[spoiler: The real Brill rescues him shortly after.]]

* ExtremeGraphicalRepresentation along with EnhanceButton: The NSA tracking interface runs on it.

* HilariousInHindsight: Less 'hilarious' and more 'ironic', but Reynolds' birthday is September 11. This movie came out in 1998.

* IWarnedYou: When Dean tells his wife their house, car, phones, etc. have all been bugged, she angrily reminds him she knew something like this might happen (which she had), to which he replies "This is not the time for the 'I told you so' speech."

* LookBothWays : Zavitz, the wildlife researcher.

* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler:The Mafia boys from the beginning of the movie.]]

* MaliciousSlander: Dean is victim of this

* SpySatellites: One major limitation is pointed out: the satellites are only terribly useful if the person you are trying to track ever looks up. Brill makes a point of keeping his head level and wearing a baseball cap.

* ChekhovsGun: The lingerie Dean bought for his wife. When it comes up later in the film it is {{played for laughs}}, but it hints Dean to the fact that it was at the lingerie store where [[spoiler:Zavitz dropped the incriminating footage in Dean's shopping bag]]

''Enemy of the State'' is a 1998 [[ConspiracyThriller spy-thriller]] film directed by Creator/TonyScott, written by David Marconi, and produced by Creator/JerryBruckheimer. It stars Creator/WillSmith, Creator/Gene Hackman, Creator/JonVoight, Lisa Bonet, Tom Sizemore, and Regina King.

''Enemy of the State'' is a 1998 [[ConspiracyThriller spy-thriller]] film directed by Creator/TonyScott, written by David Marconi, produced by JerryBruckheimer, and released by Creator/TouchstonePictures. The film stars WillSmith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet, Tom Sizemore, and Regina King.

A group of rogue operatives from the [[{{NSA}} National Security Agency]] kill a US Senator who's set to block a bill to expand the government's authority for covert surveillance, but are caught in the act by a wildlife researcher's hidden camera. The NSA finds out about the researcher's tape, and the expanding cloud of coverups, murder and surveillance sucks in Dean (Will Smith), a labor lawyer who unwittingly has the tape passed on to him. The NSA agents proceed to bug Dean's house and belongings, ruin his marriage, and destroy his life to get him to surrender the tape. Soon, the only friend he has is the retired NSA agent "Brill" (Gene Hackman), who's learned how paranoid you have to be in this kind of world...

* NoExceptYes: {{Inverted}} when Dean is called before his bosses at the law firm over allegations against him:
-->'''Silverberg:''' We were told to look back on your files as far as the electrician strike. We believe that you helped a man named Sam Velotti form a company called Zurich.
-->'''Blake:''' We also found out about your connection with the Peitzo family.
-->'''Dean:''' Well, that's true.
-->'''Silverberg:''' You're admitting to it?
-->'''Dean:''' Sure. Everything except forming a company called Zurich, or knowing anybody who is named Sam Velotti, or having any connection, whatsoever, to the Peitzo family.