um, I don't think the movie was supposed to take place in 1990 like the reviewer suggests. I think the time frame for his 'dream' is supposed to be around 1975.

First off, I would like to express my awe concerning all of these insightful opinions. I wholeheartedly agree with the spiritual theme of the movie (Jezebel, Sarah, Gabe, Louie, being positive and negative aspects of the spiritual realm), however I would like to express my opinion that time ceases to exist in the higher spiritual dimensions, "Pergatory" (the state where his "holding pattern" took place) being one of those planes. Therefore, I offer this theory: his future life (filtered by his impending death-i.e. the demons) is played out for Jacob so that he could make peace with his life and follow the leads of his spiritual guides.

Far out. All I can say is, if anyone has ever had a bad acid trip this movie will rip your guts and heart out. My theory is that he is on that bed in that hospital the whole time (having been given this drug BZ), all these visions are a mix of what has actually happened and what his mind is making him see to work through his own inner while he's freaking out on the drug. For example: The postal chick he is 'living' with in that hovel is his punishment in his mind (notice those parts are all dirty and horrible.) That is the life he has given himself in his mind coz he cheated on his wife (she makes a comment when they are lying in bed together when he tells her about the "dream" he had that he was living with her.) He had his wife tell him she still loved him, which he needed to get from her to move on and he is dealing with guilt over his sons death and gives himself forgiveness which is the final thing he needed to do before he died. Anyway, thats my opinions.

excellent movie

Please excuse me if this review is "mentally lacking", I'm a college student who is not getting very much sleep, so I'm a bit (how should I put it) woozy. I rented this movie thinking that is was going to be a disturbing fantasy. I was delighted to find out that it was much, much more; thought provoking, emotional, breathtaking, and beautiful. I am Thoroughly impressed with the both the writing, and the cinematography. Anyone in Hollywood can create explosions and gore, but they rarely add good graphics to an actual plot. I almost cried when his son was leading him ?up the ladder?. Come-on Hollywood, make me feel!

Jacobs Ladder. Having read the previous reviews I conclude that they are all true accounts of this film. This movie is talking about BZ whilst screaming the vile inhumanities of war. The bayonet thrust through Jacob's guts is by the hand of his own comrade. How easily the enemy is mistaken. BZ has disorientated the soldiers perceptions but of course the director plays with ours. Skillful manipulation. The confusion in time , place and reality beautifully exploring the mind altering states of a powerful drug and yet giving permission to question "who is the emeny" whilst troops turn on themselves. Good verus evil. The battle to let go and to understand how to let go. What is real and what is an illusion. Charlie is the enemy but Charlie is also a man. Remember The football match during the first world war between the British and Germans' in the trenches at Christmas????? It is also a remarkable journey of letting go, of guilt , pain and acceptance. Jezebel is the biblical temptress clouding his vision and sincerity, trying to distract and create doubt in his belief in truth and something fundamental to realise. She has no time for his suffering as she knows the very source of his pain is by a battle that if won she ceases to exist . She is very jelous of his 'ex' who at his bedside says she still loves him. The mother of his children and of Gabe or Gabriel. The angel. Jacobs ladder is a wonderful film with a wonderful performance from Tim Robbins. I have enjoyed vey much reading some of the above reviews and feel they are almost all true this film. I will have to see it again.

Jacob?s Ladder is, from my viewpoint, a movie about our misconceived notions of heaven and hell. The failure being the thought of these being something that happens after you?re dead. Weighted down by guilt and fear of death, Jacob sees the world around him as evil, thereby being in hell, but by relinquishing his fears and accepting "salvation" (meaning letting go of earthly desires and accepting that death is nothing to fear), he finds himself in heaven. The important points of the movie is summed up in the "If you?re afraid of dying..."- quotation. Awsome movie, both as a cinematic vision and a spiritual message.

Moving, depressing, uplifting, highly disturbing -- these are all understatments. Truly masterful. That the said critic even has a job in the movie critique industry, is a testement to the superficial state of 'Hollywood'. His review is truly mind-boggling and best not to think off. As another commentator noted, truly shallow frame of reference. I wonder what he would think of the majority of movies made in Hollywood which are complete junk -- he probably likes these. I'd give this one 5 stars, but it seems 4 is the maximum permitted.

I watched Jacobs ladder on t.v a few years ago,it was early morning,and afterwards I was really disturbed,blown away and saddened all at the same time.This is a great movie,and Tim Robbins gives a beautiful performance as a haunted Vietnam veteran who believes he has survived the war.Throughout his hallucinations he looks back on his life,family,friends and children and is desperately hanging on to his existence.Jacobs Ladder is a really sad film that grips you and doesn't let go until Tim Robbins's spirit is finally at piece,and can move on to the next life.The only negative point in my opinion is the fact that his son is played by Macauley Culkin,which kind of takes the edge off what is a very tearful ending.But apart from that,Jacobs Ladder is a quality film,a film that has heart-which is sadly lacking in a lot of the films of late!

"Jacob's Ladder" is a priceless gem of a movie. I have yet to find someone who's seen the movie who was not deeply touched by it, even if they didn't quite understand it. I however (unlike most people I've spoken to about the movie) find it to be incredibly uplifting. The pain and dispair Jacob endures is almost palpable (thanks to Tim Robbins' masterful performance) but so is the bliss he feels after he finally embraces death and is "freed from the earth." More than all the hellish imagery, that final moment of peace is, to me, the movie's lasting impression.

I just read the review by Chris Hicks and it really showed me how shallow of a thinker this guy really is. This movie is so much more than a play by play action game. It's all about the mind and being in the clutch of the hand of death. His divorce was mearly the abandonment of his wife and kids, and the guilt of not being there when he lost his son. Jezebel, the (devil or angel) pulling him away from his memories. And the chiropractor (Danny Aiello), jacobs inner faith always reasuring him and helping him on his journey. Sorry Chris, I think you must have hated sitting through this one. I thought it was great.

first off chris hicks has no idea what a good movie is. the style and camera work was completely innovative. some of the horrific special effects have been borrowed time and time again since this movie was released. the story is basically a retelling of the short story The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge but the addition of the angel and the son helping Jacob cross over was perfect in helping the audience sympathize with Jacob. Mr. Hicks is either an imbecile or has lost touch with what the average movie goer like myself enjoys. Whatever the case he isn't a good judge of what constitutes a good movie.

SPOILER: That this movie is still generating user reviews nearly ten years after its debut is a testament of its greatness. I first saw it in the theatre when it debuted and it left me stunned. I bought the VHS copy as soon as it came out. As far as understanding it, I did not try to hard. It sort of just made sense as the hallutionations of a soldier dying on the operating table of a MASH unit in VietNam. I can still watch it and be mezmerized. one of the few films with a shocking ending that really caught me of guard. (I guessed the ending of "Sudden Impact" in the 1st 5 minutes)

This is a movie you won't forget easily. I stayed up til 3am watching it then the first thing I did the next morning was come to this web site. Most movies you watch and forget. Only a few stay with you. This is one you'll think about for awhile.

This movie is a masterpiece! Jacob's Ladder is a clear cut case of good vs. evil. I have read many of the reviews on this page, and think the majority are complicating it all too much. As someone else mentioned it is suppose to be vague. This helps to confuse the lines of what really is good and what is really evil, just like real life. What did or did not really happen, what is or is not a flashback is insignificant. It is the moral and or religious meaning these actions have. [If you look closely you will see heaven and hell imagery in every scene. I myself am not very religious, but the creator of this movie obviously was, hence the name of the movie.] As a side note I would like to mention that no one has touched on the significance of the solders killing their own comrades. It does not matter if a drug made them do it or not; It is the idea that brother was killing brother, regardless of why. The bizarre twist of the drug is needed because too many people see war as a justification to kill the "enemy"; Many people even see it as just or good. Thus, this was the creators sly way of forcing the REALITY of war, or in a broader sense evil, on the audience.

Almost ten years have passed since the release of Jacob's Ladder, and yet this film still has a profound effect anyone who sees it for the first time. Sadness, confusion, fear, all adjectives I've heard describing the plot that carries the film. In the day an age of Hollywood "cookie cutter" movies, nauseating and predictable romantic comedies and the overwhelming lack of acting talent the seethes from the industry today, it is refreshing to know there are still directors and story writers who are willing to extend their talents to something other than a ?blockbuster sure-thing?. The problem with most viewers and this film is that they are looking for the ?easy resolution? or ?happy ending? that Hollywood has been shoving down their shallow intellect for years. You need to look past that and make your own conclusions. My interpretation of the film is that it is about the last few seconds that Jake is alive in the medical compound in the Vietnam War. His soul being ?fought for? in purgatory between heaven and hell. Louie is his guardian angel, Gabe, is his spiritual guide, Jezzie is an evil spirit and his doorman is St. Peter. This is my favorite film ever and if you haven?t seen the director?s uncut version, I would highly recommend it.

After watching this movie for the first time this Thanksgiving weekend, I concluded that the only real aspect of the movie was that Jacob had gone to Vietnam, died and had previously experienced the death of his son. But I believe in many respects that this movie despite its association with demons, is a religious story. Jacob and Sarah, his wife, are positive role models in the Bible, but his "girlfriend" Jezebel in the Bible is a prostitute, and note that the demons in his life appear while he is living with Jezzie, not Sarah. Another connection is that his son Gabe, short for Gabriel, is the spirit that leads him out of his hell to Heaven. Gabriel in the Bible is the messenger angel to God. I truly believe that "Jacob's Ladder" story is only to show the viewer that it was almost better for Jacob to die in Vietnam than to live the "hell" he would have faced if he had gone on to "survive". Another interesting connection is that the son Gabe is the only child you see him interact with,despite the fact that he has two older sons, as if he were his guardian angel on earth and the angel to recieve him, comfort him and allow Jacob to accept and welcome his own death. For a movie that on the surface level seems so grotesque, it is such a poignant story that stays on the viewer mind and in their heart.

Upon first seeing "Jacob?s Ladder," I was a bit confused, but I enjoyed the movie. Unfortunately, confusion either draws people in or pushes them away. If you feel you?ve been pushed away I suggest that you watch the movie following my advice. Remember that Jacob is in Vietnam, not in New York. Post-Vietnam New York is a construction of Jacob?s psyche, where his reluctance to accept his mortality generates images of demons bent on killing him. This illusion is interrupted by pre-Vietnam memories and fleeting moments of consciousness. To escape this surreal world Jacob is guided by Louis? spiritual wisdom, ?If you are frightened of dying and you are 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.? Eventually, Jacob finds inner peace, relinquishes his fight for life, and is lead into the afterlife by the beloved spirit of his deceased son -- the end. So watch it again from this perspective and I guarantee you won?t be dissatisfied. Enjoy!

jacob was given experimental drugs that enabled him to experience life as it would be had he not died. This same drug caused paranoia amongst those who used it. There was a major cover-up by the US government to conceal this experiment. The movie is a superb expression of this cover- up.

The movie I thought was gold. I still love to watch it, it makes me think, about things, about life. This is actually for anyone who may want to know what the movie is all about. Jacob's whole post-war experience is him fighting to hold onto his life as he is actually unconsious and dying in the Nam. His chiropractor Louie explaind it well, I believe that you mus listen to his little speech very carefully, as it is the most important part to understanding the movie. And they even repeat it for you at the end. Jacob is fighting to hold on to his life and he is seeing devils tearing it away, the whole prossess of him finding out about the drug BZ is just one of the contributions to him making peace with his life, and when he finally does, he sees an angel in his son's form, leading him up to heaven. Some important things to remember: Anything with his son still alive is a flashback, because Gabe died before he went to the war. Louie gets so pissed at all the doctors who are treating Jacob, because he knows they are making his pergatory extremely painful for him, for example taking him through the underground vets hospital. Gabe is already dead, that is why he meets Jacob at the bottom of the stairs. The biggest nonobvious clue to the fact that Jacob is dreaming is: Whenever Louie tells him to lie on his right side, Jacob turns onto his left, he cannot distinguish between right and left because the side of the brain that dreams is on the opposite side from the one which is responsible for orientation, thus Jacob cannot tell right from left.

What a complex and emotional movie. Certainly knowing a interacting with vets from Vietnam and hearing their stories, I can envision Robbins state of mind, even as a fantasized projected forward format. I would really like to know any information on the validity of the drug "BZ" which is the closing caption of the movie. Help!!

It was very hard to understand this movie. Well, one of the reviewers here on this site asked out loud what the movie was all about. I would like to help him with my superb knowledge amassed by and fermented by my sharp intellect; ... ...here's my answer. "Sorry, I have NO idea!" ... But let me tell you this. The reason why so many of us can't understand this movie is NOT that this movie is "difficult". It is just because the director wanted to make this movie that way, i.e., ambiguous. Thus I think no one can "understand" this movie, for there is NO coherence in the plot and story line. The extreme confusion and incoherence that any viewer should feel after this movie is what the director and writer had been aiming for. One of the very rare movies that fits into this genre.

I saw this movie when it first came out in 1990 and I just watched it again. I have never understood it! It is a mystery to me! Did he just imagine all that stuff about the drug that they supposely gave all them? I mean, if he died in Vietnam, then nothing about Jezzie or his life after Vietnam was real? I am guessing that his son really did die but I just don't know what else is real! Someone explain this to me! Thanks!

In trying to assess this movie I felt that I had found more than one illogical element of a more than passing troublesomeness for the movie experience as a whole. Having said that, because it was there on my mind, I still find this film, after several years, one that remains troublesome in the feelings it induces in me. It does not fade away. If it had been originally intended as a horror film of sorts, as the lead reviewer encountered here states, I can wholly attest that horror was not what it arounsed in me; rather, a deep sadness, a terrible sadness. I respect the strength it had to do this, since so many films fade away.

I've watched Jacob's Ladder twice and I seem to love it more every time i watch it. Even though in particular places it is too gory for some to stomach (my roommate) it leads you into the mind of Jacob and you feel like you should be helping him or be there in a getaway car or omething.Jezzie, even though she plays a good part, could have been a little more understanding of Jacob's problems. I mean, the guy was in Vietnam for crying out loud. Who wouldn't that leave scars on. The way it choppily flows from scene to scene makes me want to ask the director questions about what is going on but he's usually not in my living room. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat and it is one that any horror fanatic can't possibly miss. I love Tim Robbins and in this movie he makes you love him even more. see it, see it, see it

My favorite movie ever!!!!!!!!

Certainly one of the most wigged-out movies I've ever seen, Jacob's Ladder is frightening yet thought-provoking at the same time. Pretty cool movie.