Review of Jacob's Ladder (1990) by Tim F — 24 Mar 2011

(don't read the summary above!!-spoiler) It starts in 'Nam, it all started in 'Nam. Something very disturbing happens to Jacob's squad, very shaky we see explosions etc and then he's in a metro, a little freaked because he fell asleep and there's almost nobody there.

He sees things! Weird things. Tim Robbins is very suitable for the veteran 'professor', the glasses of his mates, now still wearing his armyvest. He's kinda goofy and I think he uphelds that during the whole movie.

It makes it all a little more light. Then he keeps having these dreams about that event. He also gets pictures from his former wife and kids, they upset him and his new girlfriend throws them away... Then it only gets more freaky, twisted aswell.

He gets a sort of a stroke at a party, hallucinating again, back at home his temperature rises deadly and he's forced into a bath of ice, pretty histeric all. Then he wakes up in another life! The 'Nam scenes are woven in well, each time giving us a bit more info about what happened.

This guy keeps turning up two. What the hell is going on here I soon wondered. He also meets his mates again, one is having the same symptomes as he is. The others seem to collaborate but when Jacob calls the lawyer they back down for some mysterious reason.

Each time he's out, is it because of his angellike chiropractor or a kidnapping, it gets worse. I saw the resemblence in their faces between the young but already talented MacCulley and Tim. Eventually he's told the horrible truth.

It's got a lot to do with letting go, this movie, and also death ofcourse. The end is the one thing that just doesn't make sence, or better clashes with all the rest, and how!? Very cool and special movie!