If presented the moment of death, would one accept his or her fate or would one choose to take action, thus completely changing history forever?

Invincibility resides in young people’s hearts, and as one goes up the age line, ignorance about death takes on a new form-as people mature, they have a vague idea of what death is, yet they are still in constant denial.

Death is a mystery, and the “The Jacket” capitalizes on this idea. The movie explores the fantastic idea of having knowledge of the precise time and the exact way of one person’s death as seen through the window of his mind.

John Maybury’s “The Jacket,” a psychological thriller, follows the journey of a Gulf War soldier and his multiple experiences with death. Jack Starks (played by Adrien Brody) is serving in the U.S. Military in the Gulf War and while trying to negotiate with a gun-holding boy in battle, he gets shot in the head.

He recalls that he was 27 years of age when he first died. Strangely, the bullet that rammed into his head didn’t cause him to die. Nor did the incredible mistake of leaving him for at night inside a morgue drawer. Nor did the multiple administrations of medications through numerous deep skin injections kill him.

“The Jacket” presents the question of fate’s role in people’s lives and the human characteristic of having no control of one’s own death.

Starks is depicted as a character who undergoes varied versions of dying, yet there is no indication if he is a supernatural, a demigod, or an immortal being.

Immortal is a curious word to describe Starks, since there are certain times when his countenance and his blank stares seem to proclaim that he is dead, yet he does not really move on to the next phase that people commonly define as the “afterlife.” Perhaps Maybury creates the idea of living in the present, which would classify Starks’ character as a subscriber to the existential philosophy about life.

Told in a non-linear fashion, “The Jacket” takes the viewers on journeys inside the workings of a person’s head. After being administered medication and locked up in a drawer, Starks’ thoughts and flashbacks are seen through the irises of his eyes.

The technique of zooming in on Starks’ green eyes and the sudden panning of the camera gives the viewers a chance to observe the collection of his stored thoughts.

Roughly half of the narrative is told this way, alternating with flash forwards and trips to what the future looks like 14 years later.

Although the movie presents a variety of questions and ideas about existence that viewers may ponder, it lacks development and the ending seem lacking. It had potential yet the conclusion uttetly disappoints.

Maybury tailored the movie into a brilliant painting on a canvas, yet the final touches seemed a bit dry in contrast with the way he crafted the beginning.

The question that viewers might ask after watching the movie stands on the question of Starks’ credibility. Are the viewers willing to believe him, despite his mental condition? Are the things happening to Starks real in story time, or are the things presented in the story just a fragment of his imagination?

Maybe viewers should think twice before believing his crazy antics.

On Screen

What: “The Jacket”: A Gulf War Veteran explores the idea of death and the will to take control of life despite mental condition.

Rated: R

Starring: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kris Kristofferson.

Bottom Line: The movie circles around thought-provoking ideas, yet is filled with underdeveloped themes that might confuse viewers.