Great film, but the writer, Bruce Joel Rubin, has now written at least three screenplays dealing with the after-life: 'Jacob's Ladder', 'Brainstorm' and 'Ghost'. Of those three, only 'Ghost' explicitly propounds the 'reality' of a life after death. In the other two films, the 'walking toward the light' mentioned by those who have endured near-death experiences could be mere hallucination.
'Jacob's Ladder' improves on the plot twist in 'The Sixth Sense'. In the latter, the plot loses potency after the first viewing, because the plot twist is a device that changes your perception of the entire story. In 'Jacob's Ladder', there are clues right throughout the story that he might actually be dead or dying. Therefore, the plot twist is not such a great revelation, but does put everything in the proper context.
Because the story is very open to interpretation (ie: is the action a product of a dying mind or are these experiences sort of a spiritual obstacle course?), you can watch the film repeatedly and still find plotting nuances to change how you perceive the story.
IMO, the major changes Adrian Lyne made to the basic story were for the better. If you're interested in seeing how BJR's vision of angels taking Jacob to heaven might have looked (if attempted at all), rent 'Brainstorm' and watch the final couple of scenes. What is otherwise a good film is let down by these scenes and Lyne was right to go with his preferred option; Gabe leading Jacob by the hand up the stairs. Angels carrying Jacob to Heaven could never hope to be as grandiose as our own imaginations.
If there is one particular fault with this film, the drug experimentation sub-plot doesn't seem to work. Even as a red herring, it's weak. On the whole though, I find 'Jacob's Ladder' poignant and thought-provoking.
'Jacob's Ladder' improves on the plot twist in 'The Sixth Sense'. In the latter, the plot loses potency after the first viewing, because the plot twist is a device that changes your perception of the entire story. In 'Jacob's Ladder', there are clues right throughout the story that he might actually be dead or dying. Therefore, the plot twist is not such a great revelation, but does put everything in the proper context.
Because the story is very open to interpretation (ie: is the action a product of a dying mind or are these experiences sort of a spiritual obstacle course?), you can watch the film repeatedly and still find plotting nuances to change how you perceive the story.
IMO, the major changes Adrian Lyne made to the basic story were for the better. If you're interested in seeing how BJR's vision of angels taking Jacob to heaven might have looked (if attempted at all), rent 'Brainstorm' and watch the final couple of scenes. What is otherwise a good film is let down by these scenes and Lyne was right to go with his preferred option; Gabe leading Jacob by the hand up the stairs. Angels carrying Jacob to Heaven could never hope to be as grandiose as our own imaginations.
If there is one particular fault with this film, the drug experimentation sub-plot doesn't seem to work. Even as a red herring, it's weak. On the whole though, I find 'Jacob's Ladder' poignant and thought-provoking.
