Reviews

I saw this movie in the 1950s in its theatre run. It stuck with me as a tale of considerable heroism, although the years may have taken their toll on the precision of my memory. If Columbia would release it on video I'd run right out and buy it, Grade B or not. Better yet, the tale within it would lend itself well to a major studio "Saving Private Ryan" blockbuster, so how about it, Hollywood?

Every so often comes an offbeat movie that begs to be seen over and over again, which is now possible because of cable and satellite. "Pulse" is such a movie. Don't over analyze it. Just get a lot of popcorn and whatever and sit forward on your seat, grip the arms of your chair, and immerse yourself in it. If you're looking for more of the same, similar feelings without it being a slasher movie (yuck!), add "Final Destination" to your viewing evening, another 10 in my book.... Of course, I'm talking about a different standard than great drama, I'm talking about a movie that makes you grip your seat and exclaim "Holy S..t!"....

The scene with Stockard Channing and the steamer trunk was priceless, and made us fans of hers forever after. And if you've ever rented an apartment, the business with the landlady and the prospectives will sum up the experience for you with great and painful hilarity.

I've read the 54 reviews here, and agree with most, both positive and negative, but I have a different perspective. Of all instruments, cello speaks to me most deeply. I do not play, I sing (deep bass, centered below the bottom of the bass staff, presently studying music in college after retirement), but still the cello resonates within my soul. I grieve that I never got the chance to see Jacqueline in her prime. But more so, that MS brought her down and killed her.

My wife has MS, is about 2/3 the way through the course of the disease. Its pace for her is much slower than the 20 years it took to kill Jackie. Slower, but just as bitterly relentless. The devastation of the disease is portrayed effectively in the film even though it is compressed in the telling. Some critics challenged the portrayal of incontinence, of tremors, of puzzling mental behavior. Those portrayals were quite accurate and the challenges unwarranted.

The one portrayal I would challenge is the final scene of Jackie being fed reclining. As I understand it, at least from current writings on the subject, the manner in which that was done would guarantee (aspiration) pneumonia and death because of the damage MS does to the swallowing reflex which uses the vocal cords to keep contaminants out of the lungs. I hope that portrayal was inaccurate. Other than this one glitch, I've found the movie haunting, invading my thoughts at quiet times and while drifting in and out of sleep. Sorry critics, I give it a 10, for the ballet of bond and competition between the sisters, for the portrayal of the musical genius of both of them, for the tragedy wrought by MS, for the powerful telling of the tale.....