Genre

ACTION, SUSPENSE, THRILLER, WAR

Brief

A chronicling of a fateful standoff between United States and North Vietnamese troops. Captain Bill Albrecht iterates his experience as a young captain in charge of a vulnerable firebase under attack, including many testimonies from his brothers in arms. We follow as the firebase is besieged and later ravaged by enemy fire and as Captain Albrecht leads his men into the jungle under the cover of night on a daring effort to escape.

Overall Rating

GOOD

Point of View

FIRST PERSON

Narrative Elements

Authors Writing Style: GOOD

Characterization: GOOD

Commerciality: GOOD

Franchise Potential: FAIR

Pace: FAIR

Premise: GOOD

Structure: FAIR

Theme: FAIR

Accuracy of Book Profile

It is a fair reflection. However, it feels like the book is quite heavy on exposition and background information, while the main slew of adaptable, cinematic events are confined to give-or-take 150 pages in the second half of the text. Perhaps the profile could better reflect this fact. Also, the log line would be just fine as the standalone single sentence. The subsequent sentences feel wordy and don't seem to clarify the concept beyond what has already been teased.

Draw of Story

What drew me into the story immediately was the author's pairing of word choice and personal voice. While military and war books can been dense with background and expository information that can belittle the story and character propulsions, this work compensated for that to a certain extent by how human, accessible, and sometimes likable the main point of view in Albrecht is. He is a surprisingly informal storyteller when we spend time with him or hear his direct perspective. He is also funny, at times, too, with his commentary which helps break up the understandable seriousness of the situation at large. These stretches struck as most fresh, engaging, and inviting compared to the drier historical musings and clarifications.

Possible Drawbacks

There were some unique structural decisions that seems to work against this work's flow and most valuable storytelling. In essence, it feels like the first half of this text is dedicated to the set-up. The authors seem to take an inordinate amount of time to characterize the vast history and politics of Vietnam and to dole out life stories of diverse service members, at least leading up until the fateful stand on firebase Kate. Perhaps it would be most effective to more succinctly introduce said characters and then to allow us to get to know them better as we live and experience Kate with them. Perhaps, also, it would be most effective to keep the background information on a need-to-know basis. All in all, the crown jewel of this text is the action and experience of Kate being overwhelmed, climaxing with the fateful escape into the darkness and jungle. The more time we invest in these sequences--and the more we invest in the characters specifically within these sequences--the better.

Use of Special Effects

THE STORY RELIES HEAVILY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

Primary Hook of Story

This story presents vast opportunities for meaningful visual spectacle and inspired sound design. The back-and-forths on Kate followed by the dark, dank escape into the jungle provide countless opportunities for vivid and unforgettable suspense and spectacle. Probably not since PLATOON have we seen camaraderie and firefighting with this degree of harrowing realism, suspense, and impact. It would be a welcome throwback to the kind of gritty, unclean, chaotic, and somehow still beautiful carnage of the cinema of the 1970s.

Fanbase Potential

No, this does not bode well for corralling a large fanbase. This pertains to more of a niche, older, educated audience. It is certainly a far cry for the superhero or CGI-fest flavor of the week that earn or pander to what constitutes as a 'large fanbase' in this day and age.

Awards Potential

It is both possible and it has precedent. Works like DUNKIRK being acknowledged in awards season bode well for stories like this. In some ways, this feels like the American version of DUNKIRK, albeit without the compositional and pacing innovations. If executed to its full potential, this work has a shot.

Envisioned Budget

MEDIUM BUDGET

Similar Films/TV Series

PLATOON, DUNKIRK

What’s New About the Story

What's original about this story is the unique, first-hand perspective it affords its audience. Albrecht lends to the text a credibility that is often lacking in the kind of speculative combat fiction you more often see today. His personality and tone of voice, paired with the grisly carnage and overwhelming stakes and odds, endow this work with a rather unique flavor.

Lead Characters

As noted, Albrecht stands out for his personality and detailed perspective. He offers himself to the audience as not just an expert but also as a surrogate. The unimaginable stakes and responsibilities of this character, paired with his demonstrable courage and strength of conviction make him a highly viable leading man.

Uniqueness of Story

This has much potential for adaptation to screen. However, one can't help but to feel that the story's current packaging might not be the most audience friendly. In a sense, what is holding this work back from being a rare gem is its at times seemingly endless exposition. We seem to be given a wealth of background information, and not all of it is entirely applicable to the main legs of the narrative in the form of the battle and later escape from firebase Kate. Similarly, we are introduced to countless characters, given a brief biography for each, and it feels that many of these characters don't factor in quite heavily enough to warrant their initial, considerable investments. This chips away, in some ways, at this work's value per page or value per minute of the audience's time. All in all, there is a sense that, at least in literary form, this work can be retooled to prioritize its strengths and to lay its foundation more deftly and efficiently.

Possible Formats

Film: Studio, Streaming

Analyst Recommendation

CONSIDER

Justification

This work is a consider in that it simply has so much to offer a screenwriter for adaptation to screen. It checks so many boxes that bode well for this kind of appropriation, namely its steadfast, human protagonist and its ample share of action, impact, consequence, and suspense. It feels like a potential throwback to a cherished and foregone time in filmmaking-- the 1970s/early 1980s.