Review of Jacob's Ladder (1990) by Tracy L — 30 Oct 2018
Jacob's Ladder belongs to a genre of movies glibly referred to as "mind fucks." That movie enjoys toying with the viewer's perceptions and expectations. Anyone approaching this film without preconceived notions of what they're in for is likely to take a wild trip that offers dozens of possible explanations for what's transpiring - a journey into the Twilight Zone.
It's weird and surreal, but it ends with most of the holes plugged and all but a few of the loose ends tied into a tidy package. The inspiration for Jacob's Ladder is a 1891 short story by Ambrose Bierce called "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.
" It takes literally the idea that a man's entire life might flash before him in the instant before death. Bierce's work has been used as a frequent inspiration for television and movies. An episode of The Twilight Zone was based on it, and it formed the basis for Jacob's Ladder, Marc Forster's Stay and other films.
Tim Robbins is a good choice as the main lead and every player plays its part. Jacob's Ladder is a rare film- one that'll make you see it again just to be sure.
This review of Jacob's Ladder (1990) was written by Tracy L on 30 Oct 2018.
Jacob's Ladder has generally received positive reviews.
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