"Ladder 49" – Some Sparks but Little Fire
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
Who can doubt the courage and heedless sacrifice
exhibited by firefighters? They are a rare breed
that face implacable danger virtually every day.
They are the underappreciated protectors of our
community. They run into burning building while
everyone else runs out.
"Ladder 49" pays great homage to these heroic men
and women in a film that seems more of a tribute
and less of a cinematic presentation. The
opening sequence is a tense rescue operation as
we meet the main character, Jack Morrison
(Joaquin Phoenix), who has charged up to a higher
floor of a burning grain warehouse where victims
need saving and where grain dust is slowly
gathering to the point where it may explode.
Then the building begins to collapse, trapping
Jack inside. On the outside is Kennedy (John
Travolta), the seasoned fire Captain who is
coordinating and marshalling all available
resources to try to save his comrade and friend.
It is clear from Jack's situation, half-buried
and running out of oxygen, that the window of
opportunity is closing fast. As his life begins
to flash before his eyes, his memories of his
early career tell the story of how he started as
a rookie and progressed up to this point.
The movie is not so much about firefighting as it
is a presentation about the character of
firefighters. You can tell early on that there
is a deep sense of trust and camaraderie that
exists among the members of the squad. The
initiation of Jack, when he starts at the fire
station, is reminiscent of the kinds of jokes
that frat boys play upon each other. There's a
discernible brotherhood that exists. We later
see him marry and the relationship is a mixture
of pride for the groom and concern for the bride.
You'll appreciate how many of the characters are
given some dimension. Many ensemble movies tend
to have a lot of people whose purpose goes
unknown or underdeveloped. Because the film pays
a good deal of attention to these humanistic
elements, their bonds become especially affecting
when the station's alarm goes off and they rush
off.
The scenes where buildings burn and people need
saving are all very convincing. With booming
sound effects and craftily envisioned
firefighting sequences, the dangers feel real and
deadly. Interesting was the camera angle, which
appears to be mounted on top of the helmet, that
illustrates how frantic the task is and how
well-coordinated the effort must be. The duty of
rescuing folks is a harrowing experience, as
these brave firefighters must risk their own
lives to save others, but do so willingly out of
loyalty to their comrades like soldiers in
battle.
"Ladder 49" is a film that you'll certainly
admire. But whether you'll like it is another
question. It's tough to make that comment when
it concerns a film centered on one of the bravest
groups in our communities. Yet, a film like
"Ladder 49" would probably play better in a
different type of venue such as an IMAX
experience or maybe a featured piece at the
firefighting academy.
Grade: B-
S: 0 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
========== X-RAMR-ID: 38769 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1326656 X-RT-TitleID: 1136984 X-RT-AuthorID: 1370 X-RT-RatingText: B-
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