PRISM is like the real life sequel to 'Enemy of the State'

PRISM : 'Enemy of the State 2'

If you guys have seen 'Enemy of the State' directed by Tony Scott then you'll understand where I'm coming from when I talk about the PRISM program being like a real life sequel.

'Enemy of the State', tells the story of a group of NSA agents who assassinate a US congressman after he refuses to support new legislation that would expand surveillance powers of intelligence agencies. Of course, the bill is about to be put forward and getting rid of the opposition to it suits a certain rogue element in the NSA. After a video recording of the murder is discovered, Voight, who plays Thomas Reynolds, an NSA official with certain powers, orchestrates a training op to prevent the video from being made public.

We then discover the two main characters in the story played by Will Smith and Gene Hackman who get tangled up in the rogue operation, as NSA agents attempt to recover the murder on tape, and use all their Government powers to do so.

When PRISM was leaked this week, it showed that intelligence agencies had in fact certain powers to request data, or mine data from several high profile tech companies. Powers in this case for intelligence gathering had been expanded since 2006, which the President was forced to admit in the past few days.

Google and Facebook, among several others, denied giving the NSA access to their servers, in a strongly worded rebuke. It was the kind of rhetoric you would think had been scripted for a Hollywood move.

PRISM is the ideal subject to make a sequel out of 'Enemy of the State', except the enemy is no longer an individual, but the state itself (Well that's a bit far fetched, but you know what I mean). Fast forward to today and it would seem that the very fictitious legislation that was being passed in Tony Scott's 1998 spy thriller, was made real in 2006. If only Tony Scott was still here to make an interesting movie about it. Should we expect 'Enemy of the State 2' any time soon?

Iain Alexander

Founder - Film Industry Network

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