Jacob's Ladder
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Jacob’s Ladder is the kind of film I can mostly describe as a horror fan’s recommendation for newcomers to the genre. I feel like it is a legitimately scary work that doesn’t have too much of a reputation outside of horror circles, and yet within these groups, it is treated like an obvious selection. Its influence is quite well known now, particularly the Silent Hill video game (and film) franchise. That’s because Jacob’s Ladder really succeeds in placing you in an eerie, chilling environment of endless possibilities, and the inability to differentiate between hallucinations and reality. The environment of Jacob’s Ladder is for sure its greatest strength, and it’s an element that had me hypnotized for years as a horror-loving teenager.
As an adult, I can identify that the film isn’t perfect, but I do like that it sincerely tries with its narrative symbolism. However, it does try a little too hard, and it’s something I can’t discuss too heavily without spoiling. Basically, you’re not really supposed to know where you are throughout Jacob’s Ladder until some point midway through (and that’s kind of up to you and how early you can figure out the twist). Once you realize what’s really going on, Jacob’s Ladder feels a little heavy handed. It seems like a paradox, since it doesn’t make sense that symbols earlier in the film can go over your head if they’re so obvious. For me, because of their symbolic significance and what these elements are meant to represent, they then become a little much, and they make subsequent viewings of Jacob’s Ladder a little less enjoyable and somewhat in-your-face.
Jacob’s Ladder is sincere with its metaphors, although they can be a little much at times.
That’s just me. Maybe you won’t feel the same way. For what it’s worth, Jacob’s Ladder feels like a genuine effort to combine so many different styles of horror into one package. While I don’t love the film like I once did, I do like to put it on every once in a while to experience its scares, because that is something the film does quite well (particularly its slow descent into madness). If you don’t read too deeply into Jacob’s Ladder, it’s a trip for sure. However, a film that begs to be read into makes it nearly impossible for that option to be viable. Still, I like Jacob’s Ladder a lot as an art film and an aesthetic labyrinth to get lost in. Its overly basic symbolism and rudimentary twists don’t bog the film down too much luckily, but they’re still unavoidable. Nonetheless, just revisiting this picture every so often reminds me a lot of the kinds of horror sequences that really had an impression on my younger self, especially with educating me on scares that could be earned rather than forced, and for that I am thankful.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.