Steve GannMovies That Scare The Hell Out Of Me: Jacob's Ladder
October 22nd 2009 04:46
I originally rented this film for one reason, I thought Elizabeth Pena was hot on a short lived series in the 90s called Shannon's Deal, which starred Jamey Sheridan as a gambler who lost everything to his addiction. So if not for this show I may have missed out on one of my favorite filmd and yes one that scares the hell out of me.
The first couple of times that I saw this film I remember being freaked out by the head shaking demons and the eyeless doctor who was operating on Jacob Singer, played brillantly by Tim Robbins. Jacob is a Vietnam soldier who is unsure if he is experiencing hallucinations or if he is being chased by government operatives and demons. It was only after I studied Buddism, Joseph Campbell, and Carl Jung that I realized that this is a very spiritual film, hence the title.
Danny Aiello, who plays Jacob's friend and chiropractor, delivers the quote that sums up the film as well as ties in to the Tibetan Book Of The Dead.
"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you, he said. They're freeing your soul. So, if you're frightened of dying and... 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."
This is classic Buddhist philosophy that Campbell wrote about in The Masks Of God and talked about in The Power Of Myth.
While not technically a horror film, I think that Jacob's Ladder will have you on the edge of your seat and make you think for days after you watch it.
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