Customer Reviews

Jacob's Ladder

5 star:		(142)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I wonder if this movie could be made today - after all, it doesn't have any computer-generated special effects, it demands the viewer's complete attention, and really needs to be seen more than once to appreciate fully the meaning of all of the scenes. Incredible too is that the writer (Bruce Joel Rubin) was working on the filming of this and his more popular movie "Ghost" at the same time. Director Adrian Lynne wisely avoided some of the more sacharrine touches that Rubin had in the original script (such as the view of "Heaven") and added many subtle disturbing elements of his own. The final result is a film that you will think about long after you see it, a man's journey through the bardo state to his final enlightenment. In a way, this is the cinematic equivalent of a Pettersson symphony - an emotional catharsis after the long, dark night of the soul. I'm not ashamed to say that I cry like a baby every time I watch it.

Comparisons with Bierce's "Occurrance at Owl Creek Bridge" and "Carnival of Souls" are inevitable and not out of place, but "Jacob's Ladder" has more layers than either of those and ambitiously takes on the psychological layers of one man's life, the tension between the comforts of home, wife and family and the unfufilled desires he harbors.

There are some violent scenes and very disturbing imagery throughout the movie; after all, it *is* about war, fear, and death. However, none of it is gratuitous, and the use of strobe lighting, quick cuts, and odd camera angles keep the viewer from being able to see anything definite. But don't say you weren't warned....

The DVD's documentary and deleted scenes, along with the director's commentary, will enable the first-time viewer to get a more complete idea of what is happening. I've watched this film at least a dozen times, and never fail to see something new in it each time. Sound and image quality are excellent.

This one isn't for casual viewing; it is *certainly* not a Saturday-night time killer, nor is it a "horror" movie in the standard sense of the term. Still, absolutley my highest recommendation.

Jacob's Ladder is a psychological thriller in which Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins), a Vietnam veteran, is suffering from hallucinations which seem to have some connection with what happened to him one night in Vietnam war. Jacob finds himself living in different time realities and he just cannot grab at the present time. He sees demons and nightmarish visions strangely combined with flashbacks of that night in Vietnam which make him pass out. When he regains conciousness, he wakes up to completely a different time reality which, too, turns out to be a false at the end, leading him to another false reality. He cannot make sense of the situation and thinks he is losing his mind. He constantly finds himself trapped in neverending sequences of nightmares that he cannot wake up from. This cycle never ends until the end of the film when all the other realities vanish, leaving out only one reality which makes Jacob's Ladder a brilliant movie. Jacob's physician Louis probably express the main theme of the movie best in these words: "So, if you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth."

I think this movie is unfairly underestimated and not given enough credit. Tim Robbins' performance is flawless and fascinating. Adrian Lyne directed the movie very well; the emotions and the tension that are aimed to be brought about are achieved quite successfully. One interesting fact about the movie is that when you watch it for the second time, you notice a lot of things, which you did not notice or could not make sense out of in the first place. Names, small incidents, conversations, even the advertisement in the downtown train take on a new meaning once you know what is really happening to Jacob Singer. I strongly recommend Jacob's Ladder to the people who like psychological thrillers and soft horror movies.

Bluray review: I must say I am disappointed by the bluray release of Jacob's Ladder. The picture quality, the details, colors, are all very poor. If you have the regular DVD, keep it. Wait until they re-release it (I hope they do) with better picture/audio quality.

Jacob's Ladder open's with New York postal worker Jacob Singer waking on a subway train having just experienced a nightmare flashback to his time in Vietnam. Upset and confused he tries to ask his fellow passengers if he has missed his stop but as he passes them he sees flashes of tails and horns in the uncommunicative people whom he approaches for help. Exiting the train he finds the stairs to the subway locked and on crossing the tracks he narrowly misses being hit by a train coming in the other direction and whilst lying on the track he witnesses yet more disturbing images as the train passes by. Unsure whether these images are real or as a result of some form of post traumatic stress disorder from his time in `Nam, he struggles to keep his grip on sanity as his life becomes a nightmare, with his days punctuated by visions of demons, his first wife and his dead son. His life begins to unravel and the line between reality and delusion becomes ever more fragile.

This is, in my opinion, by far and away Adrian Lyne's best movie, which may surprise some people given the fact his CV includes big box office hits such as 9 ½ Weeks, Indecent Proposal and Fatal Attraction. His direction is subtle, considered, well-paced and as near as you'll get to perfect. The cinematography is also excellent and the use of special effects are relatively understated but effective, which is something that can rarely be said since the advent of CGI. As for Bruce Joel Rubin's screenplay no praise is too high. It is intelligent, intricate and complex and it keeps you guessing until the end. In fact there is so much in this movie that second time around you'll find yourself picking up clues that you missed first time around and appreciate the cleverness and different levels of the story even more. Tim Robbins is excellent as Jacob, whom he succeeds in making a very sympathetic and vulnerable character, whose life literally becomes a nightmare. The supporting cast is excellent too with Elizabeth Pena (La Bamba, Rush Hour etc) and Danny Aiello (Leon, Do The Right Thing) in particular putting in notable performances. Jacob's Ladder also features supporting performances from Matt Craven (The Life of David Gale), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) and Eriq La Salle (ER).

I first saw Jacob's Ladder at the cinema when it first opened back in 1990. I had read an article about it in a magazine, which was complete with disturbing still photographs from the movie. The article was intriguing in that it said that the screenplay, written by Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost) had been doing the rounds in Hollywood for several years but that although everybody agreed it was an excellent screenplay it had been considered unfilmable until Director Adrian Lyne got hold of it. On the day before seeing `Jacobs Ladder', for the first time, a review in the now defunct British newspaper `Today' described it as a five star classic and I still remember watching it in the cinema on its opening night, transfixed by the story and disturbed by the images, whilst jumping out of my seat a few times. I have loved this movie ever since and have loaned out my old VHS copy many times since then but what still surprises me is that so few people seem to know this movie or have seen this movie, which to me seems like a crime.

Perhaps Jacobs Ladder's lack of box office success can be put down to it often being classified as a horror movie, which is to do it an enormous disservice. Sure there are elements of Jacob's Ladder that can be compared to the horror genre but it is so much more than that. Complex, downbeat but also spiritually uplifting it was perhaps too intelligent and too disturbing to achieve a mass appeal. However, it still amazes me and saddens me that real dross such as Vanilla Sky has many people waxing lyrical when something as good, sorry excellent as this slips by relatively unnoticed. Jacob's Ladder I would suggest is a superior forerunner to movies such as Vanilla Sky and even The Sixth Sense and I highly recommend it!

Amazon has very misleading info..This is the same transfer(grainy and with artifact) in 1.85:1.. NOT 2.35:1

IF YOU DO NOT OWN THIS THEN BUY IT..AWESOME MOVIE

UNFORTUNATELY I PURCHASED THIS SAME DVD WITH SAME EXTRAS 3 years ago..ONLY DIFFERENCE---THE COVER ART!!!

AMAZON BURNED ME..THANKS AMAZON(SINKING EVEN LOWER..WHERE IS THE BOTTOM FOR YOU GUYS?)..You were the best at one time..not anymore..NOT EVEN CLOSE

HOW CAN YOU PUT 2.35:1??? THEY DO NOT MAKE a 2.35:1 copy..DID YOU JUST MAKE IT UP?

ASPECT RATIO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON A DVD!!

That Bruce Joel Rubin's amazing screenplay was kicked around Hollywood for ten years trying to find a producer, and then tanked at the box-office when it finally hit the screen, shouldn't surprise you in the least. "Jacob's Ladder" is far too challenging for the mall crowd. Unlike most Hollywood movies, it actually requires you to pay attention and to give up the comfortable expectation that everything in a film will immediately make sense. If you can't manage that, look elsewhere. But for those who appreciate subtlety and are willing to stick it out, this will be one of the darkest, yet most interesting, rewarding and endlessly watchable films you'll ever see.

There are only a handful of movies I find myself watching over and over again. Jacob's Ladder, so much so, I've worn out my VHS completely and am now awaiting the release of the DVD. This movie is one of the most thought provoking, intelligent films made in my life time. The fact that Leonard Maltin did not understand it's content and found the ending "like a bad shaggy-dog joke--[negating] the entire film," awakens me as to why all modern films are written and marketed for the "stupid" movie goer. Leonard, the ending doesn't negate the story, it is the reason for the story. Jacob Singer's (Tim Robbins) journey to death is a battle for his soul. He finds out why he died, how he died, when he died and who is responible but never realizes he is dead. So the battle ensues. He is protected by his chiropractor/gaurdian angel (Danny Aiello) fending against demons like his girlfriend (Elizabeth Pena). Jacob never returns from Vietnam, as the flashbacks to Vietnam indicate. They say when you die, your life flashes before eyes. This movie suggests much more. The past, the present, the future, the imagination, the senses, the afterworld. Once he comes to grips with death, he can release his soul to heaven and leave the demons behind. While Leonard Maltin left the movie befuddled and confused, I wept. If you have not seen this movie, see it. If you have seen it and did not understand it's meaning, see it again.

This movie is done a grave disservice being lableled as "horror." On the contrary, Adrian Lyne's thought-provoking and disturbing film would best be categorized as "cerebral."

The illusion of reality is magnificently manifested throughout this movie, as the character of Jacob is systematically caught in a metaphysical vortex that transcends his perception of a post-Vietnam existence. Tim Robbins does an outstanding job playing Jacob, an unimposing man who is simultaneosly confused, overwhelmed, and frightened by the sudden appearance of "demons" in his life. Robbins is surrounded by a stellar supporting cast.

The haunting imagery of JACOB'S LADDER stimulates the mind and entices one to see this film, over and over again. It is a profound existential treat.

Jacob's Ladder is easily one of those underrated gems in the horror genre that aren't gory and don't feature a wisecracking slasher villain to appeal to the horror crowd, yet are surreal and disturbing enough to interest most mainstream audiences.

No doubt that Adrian Lynne has provided the inspiration for several films and music videos with its dark and extremely horrifying images of the rising paranoid insanity that appear in hallucinatory flashbacks at first.

As the story progresses the line between what is real in a war veteran's nightmares and what is not becomes blurred, both for the protagonist himself as well as for the audience, and in such a way that you cannot escape questioning yourself during and after the movie. Questions that do not necessarily lend themselves to easy answers. But the movie offers its own interpretations (in a somewhat watered down ending) while still allowing for the audience to draw its own conclusions.

Everything is right in this movie. The direction, acting and dialogue are intriguing. The plot is intricate but unfolds logically at a decent pace. The photography is atmospheric and and the special effects are understated yet effective. The character of the protagonist is developed immaculately, his anguish is almost palpable.

Unless you're super-squeamish, this is a fascinating movie. Especially if you have a taste for the ilk of Donnie Darko, Lost Highway, or pretty much anything by David Lynch.

I won't go into the level of spoiler that virtually every other reviewer seems compelled to use; this is a film that needs to be experienced with as little foreknowledge of its "meaning" or its final revelation as possible.

I remember being Very Angry with Newsweek's reviewer when he mentioned the title of a classic story in his review, with the result of completely telegraphing the end of the film to anyone who recognised the title mentioned.

As a non-combat Viet Nam veteran, myself, i can attest that the film makers catch the mood and feelings of a sizeable percentage of Nam vets pretty well.

The overall mood of building confusion, dread and paranoia, as Jacob Singer's life becomes more and more strange and menacing, is well handled -- is Jacob suffering from some sort of bizarre post-traumatic stress disorder, or is it something more?

A few hints: Think carefully about all references to or appearances in the storyline of Jacob's dead son. Listen to what the characters say. Don't take the Nam sequences as necessarily absolute truth.

Among thr DVD extras are various cut scenes; i'm glad that they were cut, as thry seem to tend to both cater to the "gross out horror" element and to literalise certain aspects of the film that i'm just as happy to have left at least partly obscure and metaphorical.

In fact, there are a few places where i might cut a bit more, if only for pace -- the gurney sequence, after Jacob is ordered taken to X-Ray from the Emergency Room, is too long and somewhat repetitive; i would guess it could be shortend by a third or more without negatively affecting the story and with amarked improvement of the rather glacially-slow pacing of that part of the film.

Tim Robbins gives Jacob an appropriately befuddled face, and Danny Aiello is his usual more-than-competent self as an oracular-sounding chiropracter.

Not necessariy a film for those who like everything neatly explained and all the back story available before the end, this is still a thought-provoking and disturbing little exercise in the dark side.

I watched this movie and was enthralled, but there was one part where I was thinking "hmmm, the main character should have stayed and asked a few more questions there..." Well, I watched the deleted scenes afterwards and was horified to find that the climax of the movie had been stripped out of the version I saw. One of the extra scenes wasn't even included in the deleted scenes section. I felt ripped off!
Apparently upon an audience screening the director decided to take it out because they were "catatonic" after the movie ended, and I guess he wanted the happy ending to come quicker. Thats complete BS.
This is a perfect example of art being sacrificed for temporary popularity. I want to see this movie released in full the way it was meant to be seen, not some version tailored for mass consumption. I'm even more dissapointed to see that a "directors cut" or criterion collection is not available for this movie right now. I really hope that one comes out which stitches those scenes back in the movie, otherwise I can't allow this movie into my collection. Those extra scenes fill the holes currently present in the movie, and make a good movie into a brilliant movie.