Rungs in a Ladder

If you have twelve free minutes today, watch Rungs in a Ladder, the Ian McFarland-directed film about Jacob Bannon of Converge.



Here we get a short but revealing look at one of hardcore's fiercest figures, talking about his craft as thoughtfully as any painter or writer would. Articulately both self-assured and insecure, Bannon seems to consciously value his art and music over his own stability. "I'm not ready to find that peace yet," he says at one point. "The fact of the matter is that I'm almost 35 years old and I still yell as part of my living."

At times, Rungs in a Ladder brings to mind About a Son, the other loner musician documentary with a soft-spoken voiceover, sparse score and artfully selected footage. But in this case, unlike Michael Azerrad's Cobain movie, you don't need to have an interest in the film's subject in order to appreciate it. Hopefully you will by the end.