Ladder 49 (2005, DVD)

I recently was doing research on 9/11 and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. I was going through different pictures that were captured throughout that fateful day. One particular photograph grabbed me and is imbedded in my mind. It was the picture of a fireman running up the stairs of one of the Towers that morning. There was determination in his eyes. He was there, not to be a hero, but to do his job.

Ladder 49 brings us into the lives and minds of some of these firemen who, in my mind, are heroes in what they do everyday. This films purpose is to describe what some firemen go through in their daily lives. They have families that want them coming home after a day on the job and the firefighters have a driving need to continue in a dangerous line of work that they love. The wants and needs of both collide.

CHARACTERS

This movie has a couple of big names on the marque. John Travolta is a guy who I have followed for years and he has rarely disappointed me in the diverse roles he has played. This one seemed a bit different for him, being the chief, Captain Kennedy, and a leader of men. I didn't care for the name, Captain Kennedy, not knowing more about the movie. Though I'm sure there are literally hundreds of Captain Kennedy's in real life, here it didn't fit. I was imagining "Captain Kennedy-Hero Fireman". As it tuns out this was not the image that Travolta relays to the screen. I thought he was true to his role and had a couple of particular scenes that show his depth of acting ability.

Joaquin Phoenix is a hot actor right now and continues to get roles. I happened to enjoy his last outing in The Village. There is something about his "everyday guy" look and attitude that I happen to like. I believe others are drawn to it too. In this film that uses his character, Jack Morrison , as the man who we study, he is once again a pretty simple guy who just happens to love saving lives.

The third main character in the film is Jacks wife Linda played by Jacinda Barrett. She had a couple of good scenes for herself. However, I saw her give her message as the wife, who always worries about the red car arriving to her home with bad news, through many close up head shots. Her face tells much of the story. At one point she says something about firemen running into buildings as other run out. He replies by saying, "It's a job".

STORY LINE

Without giving away much detail I'll tell you that this is a story about fireman Jack Morrison who rushes into a high rise building. As he rushes up there was determination in his eyes. He was there, not to be a hero, but to do his job. He wanted help save a life. He and the men do so but he gets separated from the rest of the company and runs into deep trouble.

As he awaits rescue he looks back to scenes of his life as a rookie firefighter, as a guy meeting a gal who becomes his wife, and as the rookie, building a relationship with his boss, Captain Kennedy.

We get picture of Jack's relationship with the other men in the company whether it is inside the firehouse shooting pool, playing practical jokes on each other or just waiting for the bell to ring so they can spring into action. A number of after hours bar scenes and a funeral that show the Irish influence in the fire department. Many of the men are Irish but this is an ethnically diverse firehouse with men who work and play together. It is amazing to watch the transition in the way the men react from the daily mundane in the firehouse to suddenly, in hearing the bell, racing to save lives and property.

OTHER NOTES

I was especially impressed with the way the director Jay Russell used sound and background throughout the movie to set a tone. He cut away to dead silence a few times and slow motion on occasion. Neither was over done. Both were effective.

Because much of the movie was filmed during fires I was afraid that it might have been filmed in a dark manner. I have trouble seeing detail in the dark. Fortunately the filming was done in such a way as to make the fires believable and yet, even through the smoke and fire, we are able to clearly see the men and what is happening around them. There was a good amount of back lighting that also helped enhance the scenes.

There was talk through two way radios too. Sometimes I can have difficulty hearing that sort of garbled sound. In this case every word was crystal clear. I truly hope that firemen on the real fire scenes have that kind of clarity in their equipment.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

There were a number of firefighting scenes that kept me riveted to my seat. They were well done with a lot of tension. I was holding my breath during some of them. Other scenes brought tears to my eyes. There was a good balance of emotions and the film never slowed down for a moment. There was a lot of detail showing realism in the firehouse and that life of all people is precious.

Though this was well done, I felt that this made an excellent, made for TV, movie and gave it three stars. I actually rated it as three and a half stars and went down to the three rather than up to a four. The tale is told well but the story line of this movie was unimaginative and too predictable for my liking. It is not a block buster film. I do however recommend that EVERYONE see it as a tribute to firemen everywhere and to try to better understand what makes them tic and to appreciate the bravery of these men.

My two youngest girls 17 and 15 also saw it and loved it. It's a good film for young people to see too. It's rated PG13. There was a little rough language but nothing that would make anyone blush. I remember, as a kid, looking up to firemen as my heroes. Though these men are not perfect, they are brave and this film can help relay some good values.

I keep thinking about the picture of that fireman running up the stairs of the World Trade Center Tower. Joaquin Phoenix, as Jack Morrison, may have been showing what this man and so many like him do every day. They do their job...



....and they do it for you and me.



Other reviews by popsrocks that may be of interest

The WORLD TRADE CENTER Rescue then Recovery. Now it's Renewal, The Building Has Begun
9/11 One Week Later, A personal Account
St Paul's Chapel, A 9/11 Memorial
Phillippe Petit's Walk Across the World Trade Center on a Tight Rope
The American Fire Fighter's Museum