Starring: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince Directed By: Adrian Lyne Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Lions Gate Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen Region Code: 1 Release Date: July 14, 1998 Running Time: 116 minutes Theatrical Release Date: November 02, 1990
Amazon.com: Vietnam veteran Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) thinks he is going insane. Or worse. When his nightmares begin spilling into his waking hours, Jacob believes he is experiencing the aftereffects of a powerful drug tested on him during Vietnam. Or perhaps his posttraumatic stress disorder is worse than most. Whatever is happening to him, it is not good. Director Adrian Lyne sparks our interest and maintains high production values, but this confusing film chokes on its "surprise" ending. It owes much to Ambrose Bierce's haunting and more straightforward story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek." Written by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also explored the "other side" in Ghost and My Life, it ultimately feels like an exercise in self-indulgence. A spirited performance by Elizabeth Peña outshines Robbins, who is surprisingly lethargic. --Rochelle O'Gorman
This ladder isn't sturdy enough to carry all that weight... In parts, `Jacob's Ladder' works. In other parts it doesn't. The initial concept behind `Jacob's Ladder' is intriguing, but the way director Adrian Lyne constructs the film takes away from the overall satisfaction I would have liked to have received from the film. I actually found myself bored in areas where captivating my interest should have been the films only concern. Bruce Joel Rubin's screenplay is a little rough. It tries hard to flesh out the issues at stake, but the muddled dialog and the confusing patchwork ultimately restrict the film from ever truly reaching its potential.
Now it's obvious that `Jacob's Ladder' has a lot of supporters, and I can understand why. The visual candor of the film is alarming and shocking and consuming in sections (the dance sequence is particularly startling). A film this brash is bound to gather cult status among moviegoers, and I can't say that I disagree with the reasoning behind its support. I personally can't find a reason to support it myself, but that doesn't mean this film doesn't mean something to someone else.
Jacob Singer is a Vietnam veteran who is dealing with some very abnormal visions and nightmares. These nightmares don't seem to want to remain in his head and they start manifesting themselves into the waking hours of his life. When this happens Jacob begins to struggle with cause of it all.
Is he going insane?
Is he overly stressed?
Could it be that he is experiencing the aftereffects of drug testing he underwent while in Vietnam?
The end result is a little less satisfying than it could have been, and I find that the `surprise' at the end of the tunnel is not quite as `surprising' as one is led to believe. Sadly, the construction of the film is not its only vice. Personally I never really got behind the acting either; especially that of Tim Robbins. I will admit to being a big fan of his. I think that his work on films like `The Player' and `The Shawshank Redemption' and `Mystic River' (for which he won an Oscar) is phenomenal to say the least. Here Robbins is lackluster, never really becoming inspired by his character. He just appears in the scenes, but never truly breathes any life into them. Honestly, the best thing about this film is Elizabeth Pena, who plays Robbins girlfriend Jezebel. Her spirited portrayal of a concerned and conflicted party to Singer's disaster is touching and engrossing. If not for her I quite possibly could have slept through the entire film.
I know that plenty of people applaud this film; fervently at that. I don't. Pena was phenomenal and saved this movie. The film does have some going for it, and like I mentioned, it works in parts, but as a whole it just doesn't fit. It's not cohesive enough or tight enough for it to make a lasting impact. I'll give it a C. It's serviceable; let me put it like that. It just needed a little more work. The visuals are stunning and the initial concept is commendable, but the overall delivery leaves much to be desired.
The ladder leads to confusion. I watched this on video and absolutely hated it. The story makes no sense. Or maybe I was so bored I wasn't paying attention. Is he crazy, is he possessed. It turns out the whole movie is one bad acid trip. The movie is good commentary on what war does to people. Otherwise it's just not very much fun to watch. I had no idea what was going on the entire time and the ending doesn't explain anything. Trippy effects don't make a good movie. Pass on this one.
Nicely Done A very well crafted piece of anti-American propaganda about a Vietnam vet who is a victim of a plot to increase the aggressiveness of American soldiers by using a new form of LSD
A Semi-Fantasy Film I saw this well crafted, well acted film years ago; and, I simply wanted to write a brief comment. Jacob's Ladder could well be classified within the horror genre; however, there smacks a certain element of fantasy, of reality versus illusion. The illusions that Jacob experiences? Are they real? Or, are they indeed hallucinatory? Does he somehow assume a future life? Obviously the hallucinations were caused by the chemicals used by the government to enhance, or to augment, the military prowess of the military engaged in the horrors of modern combat. There is obviously a message here, an earlier "ripped from the headlines" warning revealed in depth. At first the viewer isn't sure who Jacob is, or was. Did he have two wives? Or, was Elizabeth Pena's alliance with him strictly illusory. Why would a doctor, a PhD., become a postal operator? The grotesque scene in which Tim robbin's character is wheeled through a hospital labrynth showing mutilated dead bodies is a stern reminder of the horrors of war. Recommended.
horror? well sure. if you are looking at this movie because you want a good horror movie, hold on a minute. i noticed the bad reviews are centered on that aspect and i think that's a problem. will this movie scare you? hell yes, but you have to let it. this isn't about being a horror movie (oddly, it never occured to me to consider it horror) this is a movie that draws you into the the life of the main character that just so happens to be horrific. this is one of the finer films i have seen in my life, but if you go into it with any preconseived notions of what the film should be then you do it a disservice by not allowing it to do what it does best. this film takes you on a frightening paranoid journey through the characters persieved reality. it causes you to question all things theological and physical along the way, and alows you to inject your whole self into a fantastic escape from your own mundane existance. this is what great filmmaking is about.
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