The Jacket

[airbolt]

I am writing this slightly obliquely as i dont want to spoil it for people who havent seen it.

Does Starks imagine the whole thing after the " incident " in the Gulf War ? ie Does he really recover and end up in Court and Hospital?

[MargeB]

CONTAINS SPOILERS

It's not about the story. The story is completely irrelevant. Film makers like Sodenbergh are starting from the premise that even though stories were used in films in the past either to entertain or to convey a meaning, they are losing their power to entertain and are an unnecessary limitation on the conveying of meaning, or message, or observation, or provocation. I remember feeling isolated after Vanilla Sky, everyone I knew hated it and felt confused, I felt an overwhelming elevation by it and I didnt' give a rats about what series of events it was supposed to portray.

Loosely, the 'incident' occurs and he dies from it. Then, in death (the 'recovery' in Military hospital is all post death) he has revealed to him a possible life, had he gone on to live, and then repeated deaths within that life. I'm thinking: as hitchhiker, slip and head trauma. Each time, he realises more and more that life itself has great importance, as do his actions in it. Much of this is summarized in his message to the viewer (via the girl's Mum) in the letter to her.

Overall, it's easier to understand if you've seen Jacob's Ladder (a great film, but much more of a 'horror') to which this film is very similar (but ends up with a different message). Also easier, if you've seen other stuff by Sodenbergh, such as 'Solaris', another terrific film. His premise is that life, the Universe, and Everything, is much stranger than we are taught to assume, far more 'spiritual' than religion would suggest, and that we need to watch the likes of his films to be wakened from the 'anaesthetic of familiarity'.

Are the 'boys' the same?

[airbolt]

SPOILERS

Absolutely with you on the " Jacobs Ladder " idea MargeB . Also agree that the mood of the piece was stronger than the plot - It was the most uncomfortable watch for the first half hour ( up there with Reservoir Dogs for unease in a cinema ).

On a light note the uneasy nature of the film meant that the audience werent doing the usual 3 course Buffet throughout!

[MargeB]

wow, you're right. I had almost given up on cinema. What's the point? You work hard to 'zone in' to what you're watching, then some joker uses his phone, or discusses the plot, or as you say, starts munching away. Total silence for this one. And lots of people sitting through the end credits. Great piece of film.