The film Olympus Has Fallen, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is essentially a patriotic version of Die Hard. Both films have the makings of a classic action movie: guns, gore, hostages and, of course, the lone hero who miraculously saves the day. In this movie, however, the hostages are not being held in an office building, but in the White House. And the President of the United States (played by Aaron Eckhart) is one of those hostages, along with the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, and the South Korean Prime Minister.
The film presents itself in a confusing, yet riveting way. Terrorists disguised as Asian tourists blow up the White House gates, a jet shoots down civilians in Washington D.C., and before you can blink, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the entire city lay in ruins. Simultaneously, the President is rushed to a secret bunker, along with the other government officials, and a South Korean guard named Kang reveals himself to be a North Korean terrorist. It is now the task of dismissed Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (played by Gerard Butler), who is the sole surviving agent on White House premises, to find the President’s young son, rescue the hostages, and save America from nuclear destruction.
The premise of the movie is largely disconcerting. Can a group of terrorists really fly airplanes over D.C., attack the White House, and take the President hostage? (The premise is especially disconcerting now that North Korea is threatening war). In one unsettling line, Kang claims that it took his men thirteen minutes to infiltrate the White House, while it took the U.S. military fifteen minutes to arrive at the scene. I think most of us would like to believe events like this are simply not possible; after all, the U.S. military is the strongest in the world. As the movie depicts this disaster, however, the United States must now make concessions to terrorists, navigating under the rule of Speaker of the House, played by none other than Morgan Freeman.
Freeman’s performance, as usual, is captivating and believable as the calm stand-in President who is thrown headfirst into a highly unanticipated situation. Butler too, is convincing as the classic tough-guy hero who must regain the President’s trust after a tragic accident. He is determined to save the President’s son and the hostages at all costs, playing the part of the resolute Hercules-type figure. As for Eckhart, he plays the President with a venerable patriotism, committed to protecting the other hostages and withholding his vital nuclear passcode from the terrorists.
But the most enthralling performance belongs to Melissa Leo, playing Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan. She too, has a nuclear passcode that the terrorists need, and while being beaten to a pulp by Kang, adamantly refuses to divulge the information. Only once the President orders her to disclose the passcode, telling her that he will not surrender his passcode, does she reluctantly concede. The terrorists decide to “release” her, to send a message to the press. While she is being dragged out of the room beaten and semi-conscious, she continues to resist the terrorists by using her remaining strength to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. This electrifying act of patriotism is one of the most memorable moments of the film, engendering feelings of awe and reverence for the United States of America and its leaders.
Though the events of Olympus Has Fallen are unlikely to occur (or so we hope!), what the film lacks in reality is made up for in suspense. This is a seat-gripping production from start to finish, thanks to the superb acting and special effects. It will tug at your emotions and rattle your nerves, and make you proud to be an American.