This movie takes you on intense horrifying journey with a shocking ending that will haunt you FOREVER! Wounded in Viet Nam, he's now back at home in NY. Torn between the memories of his son and terrifying wartime demons, Jacob is slowly losing his grip on reality. His beautiful girlfriend (Elizabeth Pena-shes gorgeous!) only adds confusion to his life, drawing him into a web of sexual intrique, but ultimately, its his friend Louis, who turns out to be the only one Jacob can truly cound on. I watched this years ago, and has captivated me since. Being a vetern, I love my war movies, and this offers a twist to after the Viet Nam war, between good and bad. Excellent Psychological Thriller, as well as flashbacks of the 'nam war. The thing that I remembered most about the movie, is the chick, she was hot!Read full review
I remember the first time I saw this film how mesmerized I was to the screenplay and felt that I had to see it again a few more times to get the entire story-within-a-story. To put it in very basic terms without revealing much: a Vietnam solder (Tim Robbins) is the lone survivor of his platoon and is fighting for his life in a MASH unit. In what appears to be flashbacks and/or flashforwards, he is a Post Office clerk managing a post-veteran's life while dealing with a tempestuous lover (Elizabeth Pena in her prime) and his recurrent post-traumatic nightmares of the war and his last mission. The journey he takes into self-discovery and the recollection of his past is the modern-day retelling of the story of the trials of the Biblical Jacob, but this is only about 1/4 of the story. There is more, much more to discover here, and it is dark, bloody, disturbing, sometimes gross (even by today's standards), blasphemous and genuinely scary. The art of special effects here is used in the best possible way, to simultaneoulsly scare the wits out of you and to force you to reach behind your consciousness to the questions and fears we all nurse inside of ourselves: why are we here, what if we traveled the road less-taken, where are we going and what does it all mean? I promise you the answers are here and you may not like what you find out; this is the heart of truth and the most I can reveal to get you interested. To explain the psychological underpinnings in this film would take an hour to a class of Psych 201 students, so let's skip that. To describe this film further would be like revealing the plot of "Wizard of Oz" to a child. I don't want to rob you of the experience of seeing this for yourself. Whether you pay $1 or $20 for this film, you will want to see this again and again. Or not. Perhaps some truths are best left in the subconscious. It's your call.Read full review
swell and great, by gum it's a great movie. I, myself, like movies that are called "mindjobs" for those who don't like to use vulgarities. I like these movies where something is wrong, heads are screwed with, things aren't real as they should be (or in some cases HYPERREAL) symbolism and surrealism run rampart in Jacob's mind, after coming back from the vietnam war and getting used to life again he suddenly and quite dramatically his reality is shifted and he can't understand the weird things that he sees. Are they just manifestions of his mind or are they so very real aspects of life? join jacob as he hunts down and tries to make sense of the wonky going ons in his mind. This I highly recommend for people who loved the movie "The cell" and movies of this nature J
If you like movies that make you think... about what life is, and maybe what the difference is between life, dreams and imagination then I think you would like this movie. If you prefer a story that is obvious and sequential then you may not like it. As a rule I don't personally care for Tim Robbins, but he does well in this part. Interesting editing and videography... and very well done. If you do like this movie then you might also like a more recent movie called "Stay" and one called "The Jacket" as well as David Lynch films. To me there is no distinct difference between "reality" and a "dream"... if you also feel somewhat that way you might like all of these. (As well as writings by Jorge Luis Borges) An ancient oriental philosopher once said "Last night I was a man dreaming I was a butterfly, today am I a butterfly dreaming I am a man?"Read full review
I was on a quest one day to find a good suspense movie. You know, when of them 'who done-its'. I used google search-commands for "best suspense movie." Well, Jacob's Ladder was one that came up frequently. Although, it's not a true "suspense" movie, it hits the nerve of a potent Psychological Thriller. This movie is somewhat suspenseful, in that we are trying to figure out what is reality & purely fictitious in the mind of our protagonist Jacob Singer. In the end, a deeper mystery is unraveled & the disoriented pieces start to make sense. Tim Robbins, one of the greatest actors of our time, hones his craft with a grippingly plaintive role. I give this movie a high 10 out of 10 stars!
Few movies can transport you to a time or place better than Jacob's Ladder. Whether you lived through the Vietnam era or not, you'll be transported back in time by this original screenplay, phenomenal cast and exceptional cinematography. While many films often don't age well, this is a brilliantly executed, timeless classic, well worth the watch.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is another of Ving Rhames movies that has quite a few different twists and turns. It starts off showing you the war and the problem the soldiers had one night. Then the next scene you are on a subway. This movie shows how the army used some type of chemical and caused this man to actually live a nightmare. the movie is excellent and the acting is outstanding, at first you will be totally confused and the end of the movie puts it all into perspective. you will truly appreciate this movie and how it shows the roles that the soldiers went through. i recommend this movie for all collectors.
I had never heard about the government giving "speed" to our soldiers in Viet Nam. I researched it after viewing the movie.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Thanks so much I can't find anywhere now I get to watch when I want to thanks to you bless ya
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The movie was just as good the second viewing as the first.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs