MY INTERPRETATION (one big spoiler)

Jacob's Ladder is one of my favorite films, and certainly one of the best psychological thrillers ever made. The first time I watched it, I didn't quite "GET" it. The second time, the pieces began falling into place. Here's my personal take on the story, for what it's worth:

In Vietnam, Jacob Singer is mortally wounded under some VERY morally ambiguous circumstances, and as he is dying, the forces of Heaven and Hell engage in a tug-of-war for his soul. Perhaps because of the mind-altering drug that he and his buddies were exposed to, Jacob's soul becomes "un-stuck" in time, a little like what happens to Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse Five. During the course of the film he experiences a variety of future timelines, and along the way he is beset by visions and demons ... yet he is also helped along by a "guardian angel" of sorts, a chiropractor played by Danny Aiello. Hell ultimately loses this tug-of-war for Jacob Singer's soul.

CHUCK ANZIULEWICZ
http://www.facebook.com/chuck.anziulewicz