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Ladder 49 [2004]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

In paying simple tribute to firefighters, Ladder 49 gets to the heart of those who risk their lives for a living. Director Jay Russell brought similar sincerity to his memorable family favorite My Dog Skip, and despite the banalities of an ultra-conventional screenplay by Lewis Colick, Ladder 49 generates so much goodwill toward its Baltimore firemen that you may find yourself unexpectedly overcome with emotional appreciation for guys like Jack (Joaquin Phoenix), a firefighter whose career, courtship, marriage, and fatherhood are viewed in flashback as he struggles to survive in the present-day framing scenes, cut off from his fellow firemen in the fiery guts of a collapsing 20-floor building. There are no surprises in the familiar scenes of male bonding, dangerous rescues, injury and death, and the supportive concern of Jack's wife (Jacinda Barrett), but by focusing on the simple integrity of Jack's personal and professional commitment, the movie gives Phoenix a showcase for unselfish virtue, while John Travolta provides dignified support as Jack's mentor and devoted firehouse captain. Ladder 49 is routine in most respects, but it's a much-deserved valentine to working-class heroes. --Jeff Shannon


A PRE 9/11 HEROIC FILM
Review date: 2007-08-19 Rating: 8 out of 10

Where were you on September 11th, 2001? A little over three years ago, the world stood still as people from across the world witnessed one of the bloodiest and most horrific attacks on American soil by a foreign power. Images of the airplanes slamming into the World Trade Center towers, survivors trapped inside jumping to the ground below, flames rising from the wreckage of the Pentagon, and brave police and fire department workers searching the piles of debris for the remnants of their fallen comrades are ones that will forever be engraved in the minds of the courageous men and women of this beautiful country. And as the nation enters into the public debate of who is the better man to lead the United States in this tumultuous time in our history, one has to question whether the left side of the political spectrum has chosen to blot out the memories of this defining moment of our lives in order to conjure up a false September 10th mentality for political advantage or, to the more unlikely affect, to demonstrate the extremely short memories maintain. Whatever the case, we, as a nation, can not believe the foolish rantings of 'disingenuous filmmakers' and their propaganda and simply ignore the memories of those that made the ultimate sacrifice - and further more to those that continue to lay their lives on the line for our protection.

The story for Ladder 49 centers on the events in the life of a firefighter who finds himself trapped in a horrific blaze struggling to escape and return to his family. Jack Morrison, just one of several dedicate firefighters of Ladder 49, one of Maryland's most prestigious and courageous firehouses, has spent the last ten years risking his life in order to save others. Though he has much to be grateful for - a loving wife, two beautiful children, and a dedicated group of co-workers and friends - Jack can't put off the feeling that he may be taking too much of a chance with his line of work. When he first started off at the firehouse, training as a rookie, he couldn't wait to get the call and spring into action putting out blazes and feel that adrenaline pumping. Then after meeting his future wife, Linda, and getting married, he begins to slowly rethink his line of work after a series of tragic circumstances. During what seems like another normal fire, Jack has to coup with the loss of his best friend, and the brother of one of another firefighter, eventually taking on his fallen comrades duties as a Truckee, a far more dangerous job then working the fire hoses. After the birth of his two children, another comrade of Jack's has his face horrifically damaged in a split-second accident. He finds himself so emotionally drained by the event that he can barely bring himself to visit his injured comrade, let alone bring his wife along and having her worry further about him. Jack then begins to question himself over whether he still feels the same way about his job as he did nearly ten years ago or not and if he should taken the position of captain's aide that has been offered to him. When he decides to continue working as a firefighter and saving the lives of those that truly need him, he finds himself trapped in a tremendous blaze that could very well bring his life to a sudden halt. The story for Ladder 49 is simply nothing short of astounding. There are just so few words to accurately describe the vivid emotions presented through this film's brilliantly crafted script. The image of Jack Morrison lying on the ground surrounded by flames and debris immediately following his rapid freefall descent down several floors of the burning building conjured up some of the most fervent memories of the aftermath of September 11th - an effect the filmmakers definitively wanted crossing the minds of the audience. In order to fully realize the movie's heart-warming and inspiration message, one must see the film for themselves.

Once again here is a clear demonstration that you don't need a tremendous amount of A-list talent, let alone a still not world renowned leading man, to create a truly emotionally loaded feature film to life. Joaquin Phoenix, who appeared earlier this year in the surprisingly disappointing The Village, without question immortalizes himself as a future leading man with his performance in this film. Though he had appeared in both Gladiator and Signs, two critically praised and publicly well-received blockbusters, Phoenix was known more as a co-star and failed to be seen in the form of a famous leading man up to this point. The entire performance of the film rests on Phoenix's shoulders, as the storyline focuses solely on the events in his characters life, and he never once faults in his emotionally dedicated role. John Travolta, whose career seems to have hit a bit of a slump as of late, returns in fantastic form with his role as Chief Kennedy, the captain of Ladder 49, who trains and watches over Phoenix's character over his ten year career. Though the film's primary focus is on Jack Morrison, the balanced mentor-protégée relationship demonstrated through the film's nearly two hour time span offers. And, in all respects, Travolta is the man who holds the firehouse together - he brings them together when they're fighting, comforts them when are at a loss, and lifts them up when they need it most - it may not be the most original character in the book but, hey, why mess with success? The only disappointing aspect of the film when concentrating on the area of casting was the lack of originality when it came to each individual background character but this can easily be overlooked once you realize that Phoenix's performance is the only one that is suppose to have resounding effects.

Overall, Ladder 49 successfully draws Americans back to the emotionally draining days of three years ago when we saw the most courageous and dedicated individuals amongst us risk their lives in the pursuit of fulfilling their civic duty knowing full well that many of them weren't coming back. Though the issue of September 11th, and more specifically the deaths of the three-hundred and forty-three firefighters that were lost on that horrific day, is not dealt with specifically in this film, Ladder 49 does achieve its goal of bringing public awareness to the rigorous careers of those that put their lives on the line everyday to ensure our safety and by that creates renewed aspiration for its audience. There are those that are going to criticize the film for its lack of originality, which, frankly, is astounding considering a majority of critics praised Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow barely two weeks ago despite nearly the exact same flaw. Besides, any film that consistently and thoroughly has audience members either on the verge of crying or flat-out balling their eyes out, not only at its climatic ending but sporadically throughout the feature, should be given credit for pulling off an achievement that is so rare at the box office these days. At long last, firefighters are given the proper treatment on the silver-screen they have so long deserved, The job may not be the easiest, it may even be quite draining not only for them but for their loved ones as well, but, in the end, it is usually those occupations that turn out to be the most fulfilling because they know that they are doing something good in the world.


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Reviews


A film about why men run into burning buildings.
Review date: 2007-08-02 Rating: 6 out of 10

You can just tell that this movie has oodles of good intention oozing from every pore, and taken as a whole, it does work as a tribute to the noble profession of firefighter. However, the story arc covers no new ground, and cannot really be described in any way as multilayered - what you see is what you get. Having said that, the director treats these predictable scenes in a sensitive way that involves you more than you might expect.
What you do get, is Joachin Phoenix' character injured and trapped in a large burning building, and as he waits for his rescue, we see his life unfold through flashbacks to key events, starting from when he first walks into the fire station as a probationary fire officer. Told just that about the movie, you can probably guess where it goes... boy meets girl, boy marries girl, boy has first kid, boy has second kid, boy has bad things happen to colleagues, boy wonders if he is in the right job considering he now has family, boy realizes he loves his job and stays. It's not particularly clever, and yet, at the end of the movie you will have an appreciation for the life of a fireman in a typical blue collar environment, which was surely the films goal in the first place. John Travolta plays the father figure Captain of the station, adding little depth to the role, but Joachin Phoenix does a passable job, gaining plaudits at least for his willingness to get right into the thick of the action and look the part. Apparently after training he became an honorary member of the firefighting team he trained with, even getting their tattoo.
If anything else raises the film from mediocrity, it is the firefighting scenes. Not just that that they have been created realistically, but that they have a real flavour of realism about them - these smack of realistic situations for firefighters, and not scenes that are chosen purely for dramatic value. The effects thankfully shy away from cgi, and the sound mix helps add to a feeling of being `inside' the fire. Best of all, the movie does not rely on these scenes to keep your interest, but they become part of the character drama.
Interestingly, in the extras the deleted scenes do add some value - one plot line in particular which has one of the firefighters dealing with the loss of his brother through sinking into a spiral of drinking, shows both the emotional and mental strain of the job and the toll it takes, as well as the camaraderie of the firefighters that help him get through it. Otherwise, the extras cover predictable ground, making of, tribute to firefighters etc. Some of the scenes showing the cast going through firefighting school are moderately interesting.
All in all, a modest success, but one that somehow you can't help feeling should have had more to it, given the talent involved. What it does achieve, is tackling not an action movie, but a sensitive character study, and why a man will run into a burning building, when everyone else is coming out.


SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE...
Review date: 2007-05-15 Rating: 10 out of 10

First and foremost, this is a drama, not an action film, about firefighters, with the focus on one firefighter in particular. The film tells the story about the life this one firefighter, whose life is revealed in flashback, when he finds himself in a bit of difficulty while fighting a fire and engaging in a rescue. That singular moment in time is grounded in the context of his life as a firefighter. While the film may be said to be somewhat formulaic and predictable, it does not take away from the fine acting, the great fire fighting sequences, and the poignant and funny moments that occur throughout the film. In many ways it is reflective of life itself, with some highs and lows, as well as a ready, steady core of reality in which all is grounded.

The firefighter who finds himself in a quandary is Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix), a firefighter at a Baltimore firehouse. The viewer sees Jack in his rookie days as he is initiated into the brotherhood of firefighters and begins the bonding process with his fellow firefighters, whereby they become "family". Some of those bonding scenes are quite funny, especially the one involving his initial meeting with the then Captain of the firehouse, Mike Kennedy (John Travolta). Others are quite serious and poignant, as the dangers of the job are brought home to the viewer, especially when Jack loses a member of the brotherhood that is near and dear to him. The film shows, as the years go by, Jack's progression through the ranks from rookie to respected firefighter. It is clear that it is a job that he loves, despite the ever present danger to life.

As the viewer sees Jack's professional life unfold, the viewer also catches glimpses into Jack's personal life, from the moment that he meets his future wife, Linda (Jacinda Barrett), to the moment of their wedding and the birth of their children, with the wife and children also becoming part of the larger firefighter family or brotherhood. The film also shows the tremendous pressure and stress that a firefighter's job can have on one's spouse and children with their ever present concern for the safety of that beloved firefighter. After all, firefighters go where others dare not, simply so that others may live. The film shows how firefighters and members of their families cope with this ever present sword of Damocles that hangs over their respective heads.

Joaquin Phoenix, who is one of the finest young actors of his generation, gives a low key, but poignant, performance as the salt of the earth kind of guy who wants to do the best that he can for those whom he loves, in a job that he loves, with those with whom he loves working. He gives a quintessential portrayal of a working class guy for whom firefighting and family are concepts at the central core of his being. John Travolta gives a humorous and, at times, affecting performance as Mike Kennedy, the firefighting official who clearly is not above playing a practical joke on his firefighters but who pulls out all the stops to ensure that none are left behind when fighting a fire. Jacinda Barrett is effective in the role of Linda, the concerned wife who does her best to allay her fears and, over time, become supportive of her husband's chosen career. The rest of the supporting cast is equally effective in their respective roles.

This is a film that those who would like to sneak a peek into the life of a firefighter will appreciate. It will certainly let the viewer see the everyday types of situations that may confront a firefighter, as well as enable the viewer to discern why firefighters form such close relationships with each other. After viewing this film, a viewer can certainly walk away with an understanding as to why firefighters are such a unique brotherhood and why they bond as they do. It takes a special person, indeed, to walk into a towering inferno. This film does firefighters proud, and my hat is certainly off to firefighters everywhere. It is with good reason that we, in The Big Apple, call our firefighters New York's bravest.

kellie
Review date: 2007-04-28 Rating: 10 out of 10

this film was so good from to start to finish, its strange how they keep you watching a film for so long about a man who is traped, but the fact that they keep throwing in flash backs really keeps you hooked, its got a bit of every thing in which always helps and trust me if you get this also order kleenex because you will cry so much x

Ladder 49
Review date: 2007-03-24 Rating: 10 out of 10

hi, i was really looking forward to seeing this as i enjoyed backdraft. it has lots of fire scenes and shows us how greatful we should be towards fireman. the fires are relistic. graet picture and special effects. this also has some top notch actors in. an emotional action movie that you won't regret seeing. thanks.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Joaquin Phoenix
Jacinda Barrett
Robert Patrick
Morris Chestnut
John Travolta

Creators:
Joaquin Phoenix (Primary Contributor)
John Travolta (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm
EAN: 5017188815666
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2005-06-06
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 105 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2004
Language: English (Original Language)

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