Ladder 49 film review

certificate_12A

LADDER 49

In the aftermath of September 11th, Ladder 49 has the air of being a tribute to firefighters, as if their bravery and sacrifice had ever been in question. Although it is prone to conveying its message rather too heavy-handedly at times, the film nevertheless provides a moving and effective insight into the life of a firefighter. Unlike Towering Inferno, Ladder 49 devotes itself less to the combustible action of fighting fires and more to the lives and camaraderie of the men who risk their lives daily during the course of their job.

Much is made of this heroism, with people telling each other things like "you go into burning buildings when everyone else is running out. I couldn't do that," or explaining how the satisfaction of saving someone's life make the risks worthwhile. It's all stirring stuff and no doubt a genuine reason for why many take up the profession, but dealt out so unabashedly in the context of a Hollywood film, it comes across as a tad self-righteous.

To counter balance the worst excesses of this worthiness, Ladder 49 also tries to capture the lighter moments of the job, of how when the men are not fighting fires they are playing practical jokes on one another or hanging out in bars and generally partying it up. The film also delves into a fireman's family life and the strain imposed on a wife and kids who face daily the prospect of being left widowed and fatherless. Once again it's designed to invoke maximum sympathy and respect. What Ladder 49 does to its credit though, is provide a surprisingly brave ending.

The film centres on rookie fireman Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) who is initially encountered precariously trapped in a burning building. From this predicament, the story is told in flashback as it cuts from his first day with Baltimore's Ladder 49 company, under the protective watch of Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), through the intervening years that led him to his perilous position. Along the way it chronicles his journey from naïve rookie to hardened veteran, a course involving his Ladder 49 colleagues with whom he forges strong bonds.

The testosterone-fuelled times with his workmates contrast with the more personal scenes involving Jack and his wife Linda (Jacinda Barrett) and their family. Through both a picture of a quiet, unassuming, everyday man emerges. In a refreshing slant, Jack is not the typical gung-ho, valiant hero, even though what he does is never deemed less than courageous.