Jacob's Ladder

[samhays]

I just rewatched Jacob's Ladder (1990) for the first time in several years, and I almost forgot how unutterably potent this haunting film is. It truly gets under your skin, infects your soul, and darkens your existence with an irreversible sense of cosmic dread. And yet, ironically, at the end of it all, is a divine feeling of solace.

The main theme of the picture is perfectly summarized by Danny Aiello's character, when he says, "If you're frightened of dying, and you're 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." The takeaway, then, is to make peace with our personal demons -- including death itself -- and view them not as malevolent forces of chaos, but rather as agents of change, ushering us across the threshold, from one circle of manifestation to the next. Granted, that's easier said than done, and the meat of Jacob's Ladder focuses on the intense sorrow, agony, and horror of that very process, but if we embrace the cycles of death and rebirth, there is ultimately light at the end of the grimy subway tunnel.

According to the director, Adrian Lyne, the film has actually helped a number of terminally ill people cope with their own deaths, and I think that's just beautiful. I'm sure it's helped a lot of people to keep on living, too.

If you've never seen Jacob's Ladder, then I highly recommend it. Not only for the emotional gut punch it delivers, but for the stellar performances, groundbreaking cinematography, and haunting music as well. It just might set you free.