skybrick
05-02-2009, 06:45 PM
I have not taken advantage of this review section yet and I caught my self reading a lot of these threads today so I decided to write one myself.
Movie: Jacob's Ladder
Year: 1990
Director: Adrian Lyne
http://www.impawards.com/1990/posters/jacobs_ladder.jpg
Introduction: Firstly, I had trouble deciding if Jacob's Ladder was a horror movie or not, I pondered, but I decided to stick it in the non-horror thread. Even though it has a lot of horror elements I would label the movie as a psychological thriller/drama.
Plot: The story starts out in Vietnam where we see a platoon of soldiers enjoying a meal and bringing some comedy to the movie but it does not take long for the movie to turn itself around to all out action. After the battle in Vietnam the story follows Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) who works as a post man and lives with a sizzling latino, Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena). It is obvious that the we see Jacob has depression from the war and other things. When performing his everyday activities he starts to see demented creatures and has feelings that people are out to get him. Scene by scene we learn more about jacob's past, present and future. We learn that he divorced his previous wife, Sarah, and he had a son that died before the war started, Gabriel. As the movie progresses Jacob gets a call from a friend of his in Nam that he is seeing these demons too. Jacob and a group of other veterans find themselves in the middle of a government hide up that involves heavy drugs, called the Ladder. Throughout the movie, the viewer is playing a guessing game if Jacob is insane, dreaming, having bad trips from the drug or is really living in this hellish world.
Insights: ****************(Minor Spoilers)******************. There are a lot of small clues that viewers have to look out when deciphering the end of the movie. IMO the viewer can look at the end in a view different ways and the director leaves it open to have the viewer choose what option they prefer. There is no wrong way. I love the religious texture of the movie. All the names in the movie have religious meaning except Louis who is his chiropractor and is the godly image of the movie, ironic. Jezzie, his girlfriend has a significant meaning in the movie of a angle/demon that is holding him back from moving. I believe that Jacob is in "Purgatory" where he has to let go his life on earth and order to pass into an after life. I think the only real scenes in the movie is when Jacob is in Nam.
Thoughts: Jacob's Ladder is a downer of a movie and it made me think for hours after and it really got in to my head. If a movie gets to my head as much as Jacob's Ladder its usually a really good movie. The movie is creepy and provides some what the fuck scenes. Tim Robbins does terrific as well as the supporting cast. The atmosphere and scenery is also very well done. A gripe that I have is I felt that the story could have answered a few more questions that dont get answered. Aside it is an excellent movie, 8/10
Movie: Jacob's Ladder
Year: 1990
Director: Adrian Lyne
http://www.impawards.com/1990/posters/jacobs_ladder.jpg
Introduction: Firstly, I had trouble deciding if Jacob's Ladder was a horror movie or not, I pondered, but I decided to stick it in the non-horror thread. Even though it has a lot of horror elements I would label the movie as a psychological thriller/drama.
Plot: The story starts out in Vietnam where we see a platoon of soldiers enjoying a meal and bringing some comedy to the movie but it does not take long for the movie to turn itself around to all out action. After the battle in Vietnam the story follows Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) who works as a post man and lives with a sizzling latino, Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena). It is obvious that the we see Jacob has depression from the war and other things. When performing his everyday activities he starts to see demented creatures and has feelings that people are out to get him. Scene by scene we learn more about jacob's past, present and future. We learn that he divorced his previous wife, Sarah, and he had a son that died before the war started, Gabriel. As the movie progresses Jacob gets a call from a friend of his in Nam that he is seeing these demons too. Jacob and a group of other veterans find themselves in the middle of a government hide up that involves heavy drugs, called the Ladder. Throughout the movie, the viewer is playing a guessing game if Jacob is insane, dreaming, having bad trips from the drug or is really living in this hellish world.
Insights: ****************(Minor Spoilers)******************. There are a lot of small clues that viewers have to look out when deciphering the end of the movie. IMO the viewer can look at the end in a view different ways and the director leaves it open to have the viewer choose what option they prefer. There is no wrong way. I love the religious texture of the movie. All the names in the movie have religious meaning except Louis who is his chiropractor and is the godly image of the movie, ironic. Jezzie, his girlfriend has a significant meaning in the movie of a angle/demon that is holding him back from moving. I believe that Jacob is in "Purgatory" where he has to let go his life on earth and order to pass into an after life. I think the only real scenes in the movie is when Jacob is in Nam.
Thoughts: Jacob's Ladder is a downer of a movie and it made me think for hours after and it really got in to my head. If a movie gets to my head as much as Jacob's Ladder its usually a really good movie. The movie is creepy and provides some what the fuck scenes. Tim Robbins does terrific as well as the supporting cast. The atmosphere and scenery is also very well done. A gripe that I have is I felt that the story could have answered a few more questions that dont get answered. Aside it is an excellent movie, 8/10