Jacob’s Ladder: Adrian Lyne

Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder was a film that I had heard about on multiple occasions, but had never actually seen. From what I could tell, the film was a major watershed moment for the psychological horror genre. But I had never actually seen the damn thing. So, a few days ago I decided to rectify that situation. And I must say, Jacob's Ladder lives up to the hype. The story of a Vietnam veteran named Jacob Singer who begins to experience horrific visions and hallucinations, Jacob's Ladder takes a sadistic glee in keeping its audience on the very cusp of understanding what is going on. Just as we begin to understand a piece of the puzzle, the film whisks us away back to square one. Is Jacob going insane? Why are Jacob's old army friends acting so strange? Why does it seem like shadowy men in black suits follow Jacob everywhere? And what happened back in Vietnam that damaged his psyche in the first place? Is this film a flash-forward? A flashback? A hallucination in and of itself? Is it all, in fact, just a dream? Such a film could have easily been butchered by a sub-par director. But Lyne pulls off a magnificent balancing act, keeping the plot vague and mysterious while not completely isolating the audience. I won't give the ending away, but suffice to say that many might feel cheated by it. But I disagree. I feel that it perfectly suits the overall tone of the film. Jacob's Ladder does not tell a story in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, it presents a series of strange, tragic, and monstrous events through the eyes of a broken mind. The journey is the key, not the destination. Jacob's Ladder is a stunning film. I'm ashamed that it took me almost 23 years to see it.

9/10