MovieChat Forums > Jacob's Ladder (1990) Discussion > Questions about His Doctor that was kil...

Questions about His Doctor that was killed in a car accident

posted 11 years ago by hal-9010
16 replies | jump to latest

** S P O I L E R S **

When he goes to the hospital to meet his doctor (whom we never meet), they firstly deny any archived existence of him and his doctor, and once he anyways runs in to the hospital premises we learn that the Doctor died one month ago in an exploding car....

Two things, firstly: to me the exploding cars of his peers were a symbol of those not letting go and thus descending to hell. And therefore I ask who this doctor was? Was he part of his soldier buddies too? And what was the importance (or point) of denying him access to the hospital?

Hope for some insight, thanx

___________
• I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman •

[–] pullman1881 10 years ago

Remember, anything post-Vietnam was never real, all dreams or hallucinations. He was denied access to the hospital because that's what he dreams. Even as he lay dying, he was seeking help and there was none.

[–] essex9999 10 years ago

... and some people were trying to block him (the nurse who denied the existence of the doctor or of any record of Singer himself), while some people are trying to help him along the path to acceptance (the counselor who tells him about the doctor's death).

[–] VoodooGuru 10 years ago

I think they even tell you the date of Dr. Carlson's death in the movie. The other doctor says he died sometime before Thanksgiving.

If you look on the door behind Jacob, it shows a room number. The room number is 1 1 9.

Or if you look at that as a date, it's November 9th (in American fashion.) In British terms, it would be September 11th.

[–] hal-9010 10 years ago

I am not sure if I get your point?

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] VoodooGuru 10 years ago

It was made in the post. The only thing I can do now is re-fashion the words to say the same thing. I believe they tell you when Dr.Carlson died. The 9th November.

[–] hal-9010 10 years ago

I was not trying to be coy with you, I ask out of sincere interests. However my question is more why knowing his time of death is relevant to my three questions? Perhaps, there is a deeper point with his time of death that I don't get?

And therefore I ask who this doctor was? Was he part of his soldier buddies too? And what was the importance (or point) of denying him access to the hospital?

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] VoodooGuru 10 years ago

Ah - coylessness noted. ;)

I think it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot whatsoever. It has more to do with Hollywood's penchant to favour particular numbers out of the infinite amount they could give to room numbers, taxi cabs, buildings, license plates etc. And they have a particular love for 911. It's repeated in many movies. On room numbers, clocks, road signs. You name it, they'll put it there.

But in Jacob's Ladder it's 119. Now that the other doctor is telling you an indefinite date of Carlson's demise, but referencing a very well known date to establish a time frame, and the next thing you see is Jacob Singer standing next to a room numbered 119, I just find that interesting. November's the 11th month. Just interesting.

To go even further with Hollywood's penchant for 911, we can see that in Ladder's case, it's reversed. 119. But then think about where Jacob is in this portion of the film. Well, in fact, every sequence that he believes is "reality." That reality consists of him traveling through Hell. A reversal of "reality." Everything he experienced was a form of illusion. So "Hollywood" and its beloved 911, could just be being funny and reversing the numbers here. Or not.

[–] normkerr123 10 years ago

Except that Sept 11th happened 10 years after the film was made.

Most often, with numbers, the answer is that there are surprising seeming coincidences that don't always mean anything.

Some film makers like Kubrick, put interesting "easter eggs" into his films, but most can barely keep the watch/clock faces and cigarette lengths consistent between shots. Probably most interesting numbers in movies are coincidence (the blond's T-Bird License plate in American Graffiti an exception).

[–] hal-9010 10 years ago

Except no one mentioned Sep. 11th but you.

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] normkerr123 10 years ago

doh!

That is right, I somehow read that into the mentioning of that number. My bad.

[–] VoodooGuru 10 years ago

Interesting then that 911 shows up blatantly in Back to the Future, with direct reference to the Towers themselves, and terrorists.

Here's a Quiz:

How many movies can you name where Christopher Lloyd is associated with LIGHTNING/ELECTRICITY.

How many movies can you name where what is found at the end of the Griffith Tunnel is Christopher Lloyd.

[–] hal-9010 10 years ago

Interesting point. Also 9-1-1 is the emergency rescue phone number to get help. Throw that into you observation, and it supports that he is not in the place where he hopes to be. He is not about to be rescued, au contrair.

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] spookyrat1 9 years ago

To your original question, like pullman said, ultimately it's not that important, just a sidebar to the main thread of the final tortured dreams of a dying man who may have been dosed with hallucinogenics.🐭

[–] trowsea 9 years ago

What makes this film so brilliant is its layers, and along with the religious-philosophical story of a man in purgatory between life and death it's also an examination of the postwar experiences many vets went through. The shoddy treatment vets received from some VA hospitals was a big scandal during the 70s. The doctor's disappearance isn't just furthering the Army cover up story line, it's also a comment on the neglectful treatment and conditions returning vets were subjected to and the isolation they felt

[–] hal-9010 9 years ago

Great point, thanx. You are right it goes beyond and above "simply" showing the journey of one guy.

___________
** I am normally not a praying man, but if you are up there, please save me Superman **

[–] darkness_surroundz 9 years ago

I read that Rubin actually wanted to portray the end of the world, as a slowly devolving, frightening place that was happening to everybody. No BZ, no Occourance at Owl Creek Bridge

and yet the mention of BZ at the end or the story almost invalidates the premise that this is only a dream of Jacobs

as for records, the gov has been known to destroy anything that could come back to haunt them