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ANGELS OF WAR

A feature film by Mark Piper

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🎞️ PITCH DECK:

A postwar tale of rebellion, brotherhood, and heartbreak

 

🪖 THE HOOK / LOGLINE

In the aftermath of World War II, a disillusioned fighter pilot forms a motorcycle club with his wartime brothers — but as the gang grows into an outlaw force, he must choose between the woman he loves and the brotherhood that saved him.

 

🎯 THE CONCEPT

• Genre: Gritty drama / action / romance

• Tone: The Wild One × The Deer Hunter × Rebel Without a Cause

• Setting: Post-WWII California (1946–1950)

• Style: Cinematic Americana — vintage, visceral, emotionally raw

• Audience: Fans of prestige dramas, period crime films, and emotionally-driven character arcs

📚 TRUE EVENTS – INSPIRED BY HISTORY

• Based on real events:

  • WWII veterans returning home disillusioned

  • Birth of the outlaw biker movement

  • Founding of the Hells Angels (1948)

  • The 1947 Hollister Riot

• Authentic character roots:

  • Real military traditions (e.g. naming bikes after planes)

  • PTSD and alienation in postwar America

  • Tribal identity, loyalty, and rebellion

 

🧨 THE THEMES

• Brotherhood forged in war

• The failure of peace for warriors

• Rebellion vs. conformity

• Love as redemption — or betrayal

• The birth of American outlaw culture

 

🎭 MAIN CHARACTERS

Jack “Ace” Carter

• War hero turned biker outlaw. Haunted, magnetic, doomed romantic.

Ruby Monroe

• Jazz singer and sheriff’s daughter. Jack’s conscience and love.

Ray “Bomber” Harris

• Loyal wingman with a broken heart and a violent edge.

Captain Dawson

• Former commander, now manipulative criminal strategist.

Sheriff Monroe

• The lawman and Ruby’s father. Tense, complicated morality.

 

📖 STORY STRUCTURE

ACT I:

• War ends. Jack returns home broken.

• The club is born. Ruby enters his life.

ACT II:

• The gang grows. Violence escalates.

• A rival gang challenges them.

• Jack must choose between Ruby and the outlaw life.

ACT III:

• A final reckoning with the rival gang and his past.

• Jack loses everything — or walks away.

 

🎥 VISUAL STYLE & INSPIRATION

• Visuals:

  • Dusty highways, vintage bikes, bomber jackets, 1940s Americana

  • Jazz clubs, bar fights, open-road montages

  • Golden-hour desert cinematography

• Tone:

  • Melancholic, raw, beautiful and brutal

• Influences:

  • The Wild One, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Assassination of Jesse James, Outlaw King

 

💰 COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL

• Nostalgia for classic American rebellion

• A “fresh angle” on a familiar genre (postwar vets + outlaw bikers)

• Cross-market appeal: history buffs, biker culture fans, prestige drama audiences

• Strong potential for awards consideration (acting, score, cinematography)

 

🔚 THE TAKEAWAY

“ANGELS OF WAR is a powerful and emotionally-driven origin story about the men who couldn’t leave the war behind — and created a new one in the name of brotherhood.”

 

📌 ATTACHMENTS

• Screenplay status: In development 

• Contact: Mark Piper. mark@markpiper.com +61 414 888 884