Jack begins the film in a state of stasis. He is a farm boy, grounded, quite literally, in the dirt. In narrative terms, the farm represents the safety of childhood—repetitive, safe, and small. But Jack possesses a restlessness. When he is given the beans, he isn't just accepting a magical trinket; he is accepting the potential for radical change.
In cinema, climbing is often a metaphor for spiritual evolution or social climbing. Jack the Giant Slayer treats the climb as a crucible. Jack has to climb not just to save the princess, but to prove he is capable of occupying the space of a man. jack the giant slayer 1