Assault on Precinct 13 (5 Stars)

Dancer's Top Films #52

John Carpenter's first three films form a minimalist trilogy. They're three different genres, but they share the same creative quality: they're all very well written, despite their low budget. None of them attempt to hide their low budget.

"Dark Star" (1974) is a science fiction film.

"Assault on Precinct 13" (1976) is an action film.

"Halloween" (1978) is a horror film. 

Of the three films, "Halloween" is the best known, and it's rightly considered a classic. However, it shouldn't be considered by itself, it should be watched together with the other two films.

I enjoy all three films. At a certain point in my life I called "Dark Star" my favourite film. Today I prefer "Assault on Precinct 13". Out of the three films it's the one I watch the most often, although I think I've been unfairly ignoring "Dark Star" for the last 10 years.

I've described the plot in detail in past reviews, so I'll keep it brief here. A police station is due for closure, so its phone and electricity are cut off in its final night. A man seeks refuge in the station after killing a gang member. The gang assaults the police station to get him. Most of the police officers are killed in the initial attack. The station can only be protected with the help of prisoners taken out of the police cells.

It's the fascinating collaboration of good and bad men that gives the film its atmosphere. Lieutenant Ethan Bishop and the convicted murderer Napoleon Wilson become friends as they fight side by side.

There are two questions left open in the film. It can't be accidental, because both of them are mentioned several times. It's Lieutenant Bishop's first day back on the job. Why? Was he sick? Was he suspended? We're never told.

Napoleon is Wilson's nickname. His real name isn't stated. Two policemen ask him why he's called Napoleon. Both times he says he'll answer later. Once more, we're never told the answer.

I don't usually talk about film music, but in this case I really must make an exception. The score is brilliant, probably the best film music I've ever heard. It's played by John Carpenter himself, because he didn't have enough money to hire a professional composer. The music is slow and repetitive, played on a synthesizer. My assumption, and I don't mean this as an insult, is that it was played slowly due to John Carpenter's lack of skill as a musician. It's the sort of melody that can be played with a single finger. The result is stunning.

Incidentally, John Carpenter also composed and played the music for "Dark Star" and "Halloween".

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On a different matter, I've decide to daisy-chain the posts in my top 100 films list. The film's header links to the previous film in the list. I'll add links to my previous posts, when I have the time. Be patient. I have to edit 48 of my old posts, so I can't do it immediately. If you're reading this post a month from now, I'll hopefully have finished the job.