Piège de feu

Joaquin Phoenix gives a moving performance in "Ladder 49," playing a Baltimore firefighter who goes from rookie to 10-year veteran in the course of the story.

Although its chief selling point is its spectacular - but never hyperbolic - fire sequences, "Ladder 49" is actually at its most compelling when it focuses on the struggle firemen go through trying to balance their high risk occupation with their role as husband and father.

In addition to Phoenix, who brings a self-effacing strength and heroism to his character, there are fine performances by John Travolta as the captain of the station, and Jacinda Barrett as Phoenix's understanding but understandably concerned wife.

In the first half of the film, the screenplay threatens to erupt into a raging inferno of stereotypes and clichés, as the characters take an occasional time out from firefighting for puppy love romance at the supermarket, frat boy antics at the fire station and domestic squabbles involving neglected wives and children at the old homestead. But about halfway through the film, the deeper themes rise to the surface and "Ladder 49" begins to explore complex issues in a mature way. The quiet scenes between Phoenix and Travolta, and Phoenix and Barrett are surprisingly subtle, thoughtful and intelligently written.

It takes a while to get there, but "Ladder 49" turns out to be a tribute worthy of its subject.

This is a film that definitely looks at the day to day lives of firemen as it is primarily through the eyes of Jack Morrison. The film pretty much looks at how he starts off as a rookie, how he meets his wife and how his career progresses until that fateful night. The more I watched this film, the more it reminded me of a classic "Adam-12" episode entitled "Elegy for a Pig". The only differences between that episode and the film were the fact that it was only a half an hour as opposed to two hours for this film and the fact that the only person in that episode to have a speaking role was Martin Milner as his character Pete Malloy described his and his best friend's career from the day he joined the force to the night his buddy was killed in the line of duty. The only negative that I found with this film is that it tended to slow down in certain areas, especially in the scenes involving Jack's home life with his worried wife Linda and their kids. This is a solid if not spectacular film where the action sequences take a backseat to the human drama of day to day life.

It was thirteen years ago that Ron Howard's ode to firefighters hit theaters with 1991's Backdraft. This was before Howard went on to direct such popular fare as Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. This was before Kurt Russell figured that Captain Ron might a good idea, and most importantly, this was before September 11, 2001.

To say that our impression of firefighters changed that day sounds, well, awkward. Firefighters have always been held in high regard. They run into burning buildings while everyone else is running out. They put their lives on the line to save others. It is a courage that most of us would like to think we have, but few of us are ever put into a position to test.

On September 11, we watched in awe as the buildings collapsed and 340 firefighters were taken from us prematurely. Although the loss of lives that day included thousands of innocents, we warmed to our heroes and it brought their efforts and incredible bravado back to our attention. Immediately after the tragic events, it was not uncommon to see people wave or salute firefighters in the most remote regions of our country. On CNN we began to hear stories of the personal lives of these men. Their support. Their sacrifices.

It is not surprising therefore that our newly energized interest was translated into big screen emotional powerhouses. In 2002, Anthony LaPaglia and Sigourney Weaver played a firefighter and a writer to prepare eulogies for those fallen in the attacks in The Guys. Now, in 2004, red-hot Joaquin Pheonix and John Travolta have teamed up to bring us the highly effective Ladder 49.

Ladder 49 starts with a fire in a large Baltimore factory where multiple firemen have charged to look for survivors and extinguish the posing threat.

Lead by seasoned veteran Jack Morrison (Pheonix), the firemen are able to rescue a helpless employee before the floor gives way trapping Morrison within the building inferno. As Jack lays there helpless awaiting the rescue from his peers, we are sent back in time via the Hollywood standard flashback to understand what brought Jack to his present peril. We see Jack as he enters the fire hall for the first time and meets Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) who takes the new probie under his wing and over the years develops a bond that includes being there when Jack gets married, has kids and steps into the shoes of a search and rescue firefighter who perishes when a roof gives way during a routine house fire. We learn how the firemen bond, how they drink together rather heavily and regularly and how when they lose one of their own, the emotional impact on them and their families

Don't get me wrong, all the above drama plays out while buildings burn, people are rescued from skyscrapers and people are saved from what would be sheer death if not for the charging brave souls of the local Fire Department. There is enough action to keep the younger audiences looking for the quick rush occupied while enough firemen running around in tight t-shirts to keep the women equally transfixed.

But it is the story that sets this film apart from any other firefighting film in memory. We get a good glimpse into the lives of the men and portrait of a young man learning the ropes and growing within the culture and environment that can be sometimes loose and playful only to become serious and deadly at the sound of a bell. Director Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) packs an emotional punch that doesn't try and suck it out of the audience with an unexpected end. Instead, we see Jack being trapped in the opening sequence and we can pretty much see the writing on the wall before the tragic events play out before our eyes.

For all the focus played to the rising star Pheonix, it is the supporting cast that really stands out within the confines of the 105 minute running time. Travolta seems comfortable in playing a supporting role and is effective and powerful in his portrayal as the Captain of an efficiently run firehouse. Also standing above the average fare is Jacinda Barrett who plays Jacks wife. Yet another beautiful Australian actress, Barrett has the largest load in the film as the anchor that questions why her husband and father of her children would risk his lives for others ignoring his own well being. She both shows anxiety and support in her understanding of his passion and it is her strength that gives the film its heart.

To compare Ladder 49 to Backdraft would be unfair. Backdraft did little to bolster our impression of the firefighting community while Ladder 49 shows them for what they deserve to be recognized as – heroes who at the sound of an alarm will put themselves in harms way to help others.

"Ladder 49" is by no means a bad movie and as a matter of fact, it's a professionally made production, with some good actors in it, but it's just that everything in the movie is very formulaic and all the typical clichés you could expect in a movie about firefighters are present here. The movie has no real surprises in it and because of that none of the emotions come over as real. Also compared to "Backdraft", this movie is totally obsolete. It adds nothing to the firefighter movie genre (..as if that even is a genre). "Ladder 49" and "Backdraft" are two similar movies in several ways but "Backdraft" is the better one simply because it has better emotions, character building and sequences featuring fire. It however is of course not fair to compare this two movie just simply because they both are about firefighters. I understand that "Ladder 49" and "Backdraft" are two different movie made with different intentions. However "Ladder 49" is self to blame for this constant comparisons. It copies elements and scene's from "Backdraft" and obviously tries to top the movie in every way possible. Mission failed though...

The storytelling isn't done in the best way. The non-linear storytelling wasn't the best choice for this movie. If the story was told in a more 'normal' way, the emotions and the ending would perhaps had worked better for me. I wasn't exactly grabbed by the story and its character and both were lacking. Not really the actors fault, blame it on the cliché filled script instead. It's obvious that the movie makers wanted to portray the firefighters as true heroes. If the script hadn't been filled with so many clichés, they might had succeeded in this.

The fire sequences were nicely made but to be honest they weren't anything thrilling or exciting. The true essence of the movie is on the characters and the dramatic moments but since the movie isn't exactly successful in this, the movie as a whole also quite isn't.

The musical score by William Ross was better than anticipated and Joaquin Phoenix is a wonderful actor. This truly were the two best elements of the movie.

Nicely made but as a movie not original enough and because of that also quite pointless. Just watch the Ron Howard movie "Backdraft" instead.

6/10

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First, let me explain the movie title.

The firehouse featured in the movie has 2 vehicles. One of them is the more conventional fire truck you see around, the one with the water hoses. That truck is codenamed Engine 33 in this movie. Ladder 49 is its companion truck, the one with the mega-ladder. This truck comprises of the brave men in the fire department's rescue team, those who risk their lives going into burning buildings without water (unlike Engine 33's), for the sole mission of saving other people's lives.

Which raises the question everyone asks of emergency responders (police, fire dept, etc) - what makes them do what they do? In this case, also raised in the movie, what makes them rush into a burning building when everyone else is running out?

We follow the life of Joaquin Phoenix's character, Jack Morrison, whom we see from rookie firefighter (waterboy) to hero, from singlehood to fatherhood. This film, through his character, humanizes emergency responders, their lives, their camaraderie, their courage. It also explores relationships within their families, which is key, as family members struggle to understand the risks their spouses/fathers undertake everyday in their job.

Don't expect another Backdraft, which was more of an "arson-whodunnit", with spectacular beastly fires engulfing the screen. This film dwells more on characterization and drama, with well placed action set pieces between slow moments which will set you thinking, and at the end of the film, appreciating the courage of these brave men and the threats they face daily in their job.