"Assault on Precinct 13," is a siege thriller set in an L.A. police station. The movie chronicles a few tense hours as a closing precinct is attacked by a large group of gang members. Typical of Carpenter, the film has a lonely and oppressive low budget feel. The evoked mood is one of the movies greatest strengths. In a way, the film comes off as unnervingly real. That the attackers are relatively unorganized is to be expected. What makes this story chilling is the sense that this is animal against animal. The humanity of the gang members is left blank so as to emphasize the brutal nature of the attack. This is not akin to "Bataan," in which the enemy was defaced for propaganda. Rather, Carpenter hits on the feeling of simple, ferocious, and violent confrontation.
While the film does elicit wonderful fears about life or death struggle, Carpenter did cut some corners. A somewhat distracting refrain comes from the protagonists repeatedly saying that back up is soon to arrive. Even though Carpenter has armed the gang with silenced weapons, the staggering degree of isolation is hard to swallow, especially when regularly reminded. A second issue is the way in which the assault is finally discovered. Deus ex machina is a functioning formula but when employed, it leaves much to be desired. In AoP13, the arrival of the cavalry feels almost as if Carpenter had run out of ideas or had written himself into an unwanted tragedy and needed a way out. The above, and a few other issues, aside; the film is a well paced thriller. In addition, the four protagonist characters stand out as near perfect use of stock characterization. The "straight as an arrow" cop, the "dark yet honorable" criminal, the "world weary" female lead, and the "overly boastful yet kind" convict are all well portrayed and convincing enough. In fact, Carpenter has added enough touches to these people so that the audience really can empathize with them.
As with most low budget films, the over all technical display is modest. The cinematography is confined to set pieces and urban "waste." The editing and pacing, typical of Carpenter, begin slowly and build to an exciting and fast climax. The score, another Carpenter addition, is fitting and accents the stark mood well. The highlights of the film really are the eerie feeling of brute competition and the easy to identify with characters. Overall, this is a fun film that achieves more than most low budget offerings.
On a personal note, I will recommend this film for future movie nights. While AoP13 is not a film to be watched once a month; it is a tense pot boiler that has a wide appeal. 7.3 of 10 stars.
While the film does elicit wonderful fears about life or death struggle, Carpenter did cut some corners. A somewhat distracting refrain comes from the protagonists repeatedly saying that back up is soon to arrive. Even though Carpenter has armed the gang with silenced weapons, the staggering degree of isolation is hard to swallow, especially when regularly reminded. A second issue is the way in which the assault is finally discovered. Deus ex machina is a functioning formula but when employed, it leaves much to be desired. In AoP13, the arrival of the cavalry feels almost as if Carpenter had run out of ideas or had written himself into an unwanted tragedy and needed a way out. The above, and a few other issues, aside; the film is a well paced thriller. In addition, the four protagonist characters stand out as near perfect use of stock characterization. The "straight as an arrow" cop, the "dark yet honorable" criminal, the "world weary" female lead, and the "overly boastful yet kind" convict are all well portrayed and convincing enough. In fact, Carpenter has added enough touches to these people so that the audience really can empathize with them.
As with most low budget films, the over all technical display is modest. The cinematography is confined to set pieces and urban "waste." The editing and pacing, typical of Carpenter, begin slowly and build to an exciting and fast climax. The score, another Carpenter addition, is fitting and accents the stark mood well. The highlights of the film really are the eerie feeling of brute competition and the easy to identify with characters. Overall, this is a fun film that achieves more than most low budget offerings.
On a personal note, I will recommend this film for future movie nights. While AoP13 is not a film to be watched once a month; it is a tense pot boiler that has a wide appeal. 7.3 of 10 stars.