Firefighters the men of legends. After 9/11 their fame has reached new heights. Same is the case in Jay Russell's 2004 film Ladder 49. Russell depicts firemen as 'hometown heroes'; those real-life, normal guys who simply save lives for a living. One such guy is firefighter Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix). The movie begins with a vicious fire and a man being saved by none other than Jack Morrison. Shortly after the man is in safe keeping, the floor collapses underneath Morrison. Trapped among burning rubble, the audience relives Morrison's life through flashbacks. We see him as a rookie in the firehouse, being pranked by Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), who later becomes Jack's mentor. Morrison remembers meeting his wife, getting married, and the birth of his first child. Not all the memories are pleasant: there is a fair share of funerals. Funerals of his friends, the men he worked with to save lives. Between flashbacks, Captain Kennedy is trying desperately to save Morrison from the engulfing flames and collapsing rubble.
With Ladder 49, Russell tries to show us the real side of firefighters. He tries to stay away from the Hollywood portrayal of a superhuman, death defying firefighters. There's plenty of Hollywood glitz and glam, but only as special effects to make the reality even more horrifying. Russell depicts the real side of these heroes. He shows everyday men trying to do good, helping out a man in need, and being mercilessly killed for it. Russell takes the post 9/11 image of these superhero firefighters and reduces it to what, deep inside, we always knew was the truth: firefighters are just men like everyone else. He does an excellent job of showing how they struggle with their family lives, with money, and how they hurt.
While this was a brilliant and skillfully produced film, it left me feeling empty, slightly disturbed. Two hours later, all I knew is that this wasn't the movie I was hoping to see. I, like many of my fellow moviegoers, was expecting those superhuman, death defying firefighters, the ones who always make it out unscathed. I left the theater, soaked with tears, wondering why it had to be like that. Well, to be frank, because it was real. It wasn't your happy-go-lucky story with the perfect ending; it ends how life ends, sometimes unfair. While this movie won't sit well with the easily emotional, you should definitely go see it. It is an exceptional, beautiful film and has something most movies lack today reality. I recommend seeing it in the theater for the full effect, but if public displays of emotion are too much for you, go ahead and rent it. Just make sure you know what you are getting in to or you are going to feel cheated.
With Ladder 49, Russell tries to show us the real side of firefighters. He tries to stay away from the Hollywood portrayal of a superhuman, death defying firefighters. There's plenty of Hollywood glitz and glam, but only as special effects to make the reality even more horrifying. Russell depicts the real side of these heroes. He shows everyday men trying to do good, helping out a man in need, and being mercilessly killed for it. Russell takes the post 9/11 image of these superhero firefighters and reduces it to what, deep inside, we always knew was the truth: firefighters are just men like everyone else. He does an excellent job of showing how they struggle with their family lives, with money, and how they hurt.
While this was a brilliant and skillfully produced film, it left me feeling empty, slightly disturbed. Two hours later, all I knew is that this wasn't the movie I was hoping to see. I, like many of my fellow moviegoers, was expecting those superhuman, death defying firefighters, the ones who always make it out unscathed. I left the theater, soaked with tears, wondering why it had to be like that. Well, to be frank, because it was real. It wasn't your happy-go-lucky story with the perfect ending; it ends how life ends, sometimes unfair. While this movie won't sit well with the easily emotional, you should definitely go see it. It is an exceptional, beautiful film and has something most movies lack today reality. I recommend seeing it in the theater for the full effect, but if public displays of emotion are too much for you, go ahead and rent it. Just make sure you know what you are getting in to or you are going to feel cheated.
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