Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

I've always wanted to see "Jacob's Ladder" since it came out, and never had the opportunity. When it finally aired on HDNet Movies this past weekend I made a point of staying up and watching it. I'm glad I did.

I suppose you could say this isn't a "war movie" in the strictest sense, but it's premise relies on the Vietnam war experience of one Private Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins.) In fact the movie starts out with an ambush on his platoon's position by an unknown force.

And then it gets weird. And it keeps getting weirder. Part horror movie, part psychological thriller, part conspiracy movie, this thing just keeps your brain wondering just what the *@$% is going on! And it does it in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and sometimes hiding behind it.

I'm sitting here trying to come up with a way to explain it without spoiling it. If you have seen it you'll understand, if not then there is no other way than to see it. Period.

Tim Robbins as usual does an amazing job in his portrayal of Singer. Facing his angels and demons and trying to make sense of what is happening to him and his ex-army buddies. I will say that a big part of this revolves around him (seemingly) discovering that his unit was exposed to an experimental chemical agent that was supposed to make them better warriors, but had undesired effects. The film ends with a slide explaining that there are unconfirmed rumors that troops were actually exposed to a chemical called 'BX', but how that matters given the outcome of the movie really doesn't make any sense when you think about it.

When its over, you'll look back and see certain things that begin to make sense, especially when it comes to the whole angels-and-demons thing, and in particular Danny Aiello's role as Louis, Singers chiropractor.

Only tangentially a "war movie," "Jacob's Ladder" is an experience that must be seen to be understood.

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Description

A Vietnam vet, back at home in New York City, finds himself losing his grip on reality, in a horrifying way; only his friend can help him.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: RRelease Date: 22-AUG-2006Media Type: DVD

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

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: ROBBINS,TIM
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Tim Robbins
• Elizabeth Peña
• Danny Aiello
• Matt Craven
• Pruitt Taylor Vince

Reviews

Related posts:

1. The Hunt For Red October (1990)
2. Memphis Belle (1990)

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 30th, 2006 at 4:39 pm and is filed under 1990s, Reviews, Vietnam War Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.