The movie that 'Ladder 49' most closely resembles is, of course, is 'Backdraft.' As long-time readers may recall, I found the Ron Howard blockbuster mawkish and exploitative - a crass thriller that seems at odds with its human drama. It is as Jack struggles with this choice that we return to the fiery inferno referenced in the film's opening scenes - if Kennedy and his crew can't reach him in time, fate may intervene and make his choice for him. But continued tensions between his life as a family man and the immense dangers of his job will find him at a crossroads. As the years pass, he finds a mentor in Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta), and his career prospects seem very bright. We learn his story in flashback - from his first day on the job, to meeting his future wife Linda (Jacinda Barrett), through various personal tragedies and, eventually, fatherhood. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Jack Morrison, a Baltimore firefighter who is critically injured during a furious nighttime blaze. What would an action movie be without lots of big explosions, fiery car crashes, or giant flame throwers? Some movies even base their entire stories around them, ranging from the high-minded caveman epic 'Quest for Fire' to chintzy B-movies like 'Firestarter' to more commercial blockbusters like ' Backdraft.' An earnest tribute to the bravest of all civil servants, 'Ladder 49' falls into the latter category. (Ah, the joys of youth!) I share these stories not to scare you with demented nostalgia, but rather, to offer them as evidence of humankind's continued fascination with the primal element.įire, of course, has long been a favorite effect of the cinema, the most sensationalist of mediums. I even used take my sister's Barbie dolls and, using a lighter to fuse their heads together, turn them into siamese twins. It never ceased to be a thrill to burn ants with a magnifying glass, or to arrange napkins in piles, only to light them up and watch them burn. Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated with fire.
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