Assault on Precinct 13
On New Year's Eve, inside a police station that's about to be closed for good, Officer Jake Roenick must cobble together a force made up of cops and criminals to save themselves from a mob looking to kill mobster Marion Bishop.
Working with a mid-range budget of $30.0M, the film achieved a respectable showing with $35.3M in global revenue (+18% profit margin).
1 win & 2 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) reveals carefully calibrated plot construction, characteristic of Jean-François Richet's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 49 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jake Roenick
Marion Bishop
Iris Ferry
Marcus Duvall
Beck
Jasper O'Shea
Anna
Main Cast & Characters
Jake Roenick
Played by Ethan Hawke
A burned-out Detroit police sergeant struggling with guilt after a failed undercover operation, now working at a decommissioned precinct.
Marion Bishop
Played by Laurence Fishburne
A notorious crime lord and cop killer being transported to death row who becomes an unlikely ally when the precinct is attacked.
Iris Ferry
Played by Maria Bello
A sharp-witted police psychiatrist who evaluates Roenick and gets trapped in the precinct during the siege.
Marcus Duvall
Played by Gabriel Byrne
A corrupt undercover detective leading a team of dirty cops attempting to silence Bishop before he can testify.
Beck
Played by John Leguizamo
A ruthless criminal associate of Bishop who displays surprising loyalty and combat skills during the assault.
Jasper O'Shea
Played by Brian Dennehy
A veteran desk sergeant at Precinct 13, cynical but loyal, who helps defend the station.
Anna
Played by Drea de Matteo
A station secretary who finds herself caught in the deadly siege with limited survival skills.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Sergeant Jake Roenick leads an undercover drug bust that goes tragically wrong, resulting in the deaths of two team members and leaving him traumatized and demoted to a desk job at Precinct 13.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Marion Bishop's prison bus is forced to detour to Precinct 13 due to the snowstorm, bringing dangerous criminals including Bishop and junkie Beck into Jake's undermanned station.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 27 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This illustrates the protagonist's commitment to Jake makes the critical decision to arm the prisoners, including Marion Bishop, to defend the precinct after realizing his small police force cannot survive alone against the overwhelming assault., moving from reaction to action.
At 55 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat The defenders discover the truth: the attackers are crooked cops, and Marcus Duvall reveals himself as the leader, raising the stakes dramatically. They realize no help is coming and they're completely on their own., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 82 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Secretary Iris dies in Jake's arms after being shot, representing the "whiff of death" and Jake's lowest point—another person he couldn't save, echoing his original trauma., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 87 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Jake synthesizes his past tactical skills with his newfound trust in Bishop and the others. He devises a plan to escape through the sewers and turn the tables on Duvall, fully reclaiming his role as leader., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Assault on Precinct 13's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping Assault on Precinct 13 against these established plot points, we can identify how Jean-François Richet utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Assault on Precinct 13 within the action genre.
Jean-François Richet's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Jean-François Richet films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.2, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Assault on Precinct 13 represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Jean-François Richet filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Jean-François Richet analyses, see Plane, Blood Father.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Sergeant Jake Roenick leads an undercover drug bust that goes tragically wrong, resulting in the deaths of two team members and leaving him traumatized and demoted to a desk job at Precinct 13.
Theme
Psychiatrist Alex Sabian tells Jake, "You can't save everyone," establishing the film's theme about accepting limitations, redemption, and learning to trust others again.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to the nearly-abandoned Precinct 13 on New Year's Eve, Jake's guilt and pill dependency, the skeleton crew including Iris and Jasper, and the parallel introduction of crime lord Marion Bishop being transported in a prison convoy during a snowstorm.
Disruption
Marion Bishop's prison bus is forced to detour to Precinct 13 due to the snowstorm, bringing dangerous criminals including Bishop and junkie Beck into Jake's undermanned station.
Resistance
Jake reluctantly accepts the prisoners into the holding cells. Tension builds as masked gunmen begin probing the precinct's perimeter. The first assault occurs, killing a prisoner, and Jake realizes they're under organized attack.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jake makes the critical decision to arm the prisoners, including Marion Bishop, to defend the precinct after realizing his small police force cannot survive alone against the overwhelming assault.
Mirror World
Jake and Marion Bishop form an uneasy alliance, with Bishop becoming the mirror character who represents competence, leadership, and the ability to make hard choices without hesitation—everything Jake has lost.
Premise
The siege unfolds with cops and criminals fighting side-by-side. Jake begins to regain his tactical instincts. The group discovers the attackers are corrupt police led by Captain Marcus Duvall, who wants Bishop dead to protect their criminal enterprise.
Midpoint
The defenders discover the truth: the attackers are crooked cops, and Marcus Duvall reveals himself as the leader, raising the stakes dramatically. They realize no help is coming and they're completely on their own.
Opposition
The corrupt police intensify their assault with superior firepower and numbers. Defenders are picked off one by one. Jasper is killed, Iris is wounded, and the precinct's defenses crumble. Jake's leadership is tested as casualties mount.
Collapse
Secretary Iris dies in Jake's arms after being shot, representing the "whiff of death" and Jake's lowest point—another person he couldn't save, echoing his original trauma.
Crisis
Jake confronts his deepest fear of failure and loss. In the darkness, he must decide whether to give up or find the strength to lead the final stand, processing Iris's death and his responsibility to the survivors.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jake synthesizes his past tactical skills with his newfound trust in Bishop and the others. He devises a plan to escape through the sewers and turn the tables on Duvall, fully reclaiming his role as leader.
Synthesis
Jake leads the survivors through the sewers and orchestrates a counter-attack. He confronts and kills Duvall in a final showdown. Bishop chooses to help Jake survive rather than escape, cementing their bond and mutual redemption.
Transformation
Jake stands among the survivors as dawn breaks, no longer paralyzed by guilt. He has saved those he could and accepted he cannot save everyone—transformed from a broken, pill-dependent officer into a confident leader who can trust again.