An ambulance driver on the brink of insanity must navigate the mean streets of Manhattan; trying to save the people in it, so he can save himself.
This 1999 psychological drama is very much one of Scorsese’s least popular films. It is dark and filled with drug abuse (which is very much a theme in his wide array of films), and most importantly – something I’ve written about in the past – there is an underlying theme of religion that protrudes through like a shining beacon for redemption and guilt that is so often seen in Scorsese’s portfolio, stick to the things you know so well, Martin. Bringing Out the Dead – which was also written by frequent collaborator Paul Schrader (writer of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, you may have heard of them) – stars Nicolas Cage as Frank Pierce, a paramedic on the verge of madness after seeing so many people die under his care. Taunted by the ghosts of the people he couldn’t save, he searches for redemption in the living on the streets of Manhattan, so he can save himself from a life of hellish turmoil and angst.
Bringing Out the Dead really is an undervalued gem of a film that was panned by most critics at the time and failed at the box office, but why? The pull for it at the cinema wasn’t there, it was released toward the end of the century year (a strong year for films as well) and casually went under the radar. Granted, it is a bit different to Scorsese’s previous films; very experimental, with countless drug and hallucination scenes, but do people assume this is a bad thing? Scorsese is an auteur, a skilled filmmaker who can adjust and manoeuvre masterfully, which is why this film excels because it is a mismatch of tricks that work well. It is funny as well, a real dark humour (the type of humour that Martin really loves), humour perfectly suited for that good era of Nic Cage – from the 90s and early noughties. You want an extremely troubled insomniac with a touch of insanity, Nic Cage is the man for you. Well, was the man back then.
Cage is joined by a plethora of fine actors. Let’s be real here, this is an impressive cast of 90s stars. Patricia Arquette plays Mary Burke; the daughter of a man that Frank (Cage) helps save in his first call out of the night and begins to bond with her – a call out where we first see the spirits that trouble him. John Goodman as Larry; the first of Frank’s co-workers who was with him during the event which troubles him the most. Ving Rhames (who is brilliant, let me just say) plays Marcus; an eccentric and heavily religious man with countless pearls of wisdom, who joins Frank on his second night shift, which is a car crash… literally. Tom Sizemore comes up the rear as Tom Wolls; a violent and enthusiastic man who accompanies Frank on his third and final shift. They all patrol the mean streets of Manhattan, dealing with drug addicts, drug dealers, and fateful pregnancies, the latter of which being very eerie.
Bringing Out the Dead expertly shows the dark underbelly of Manhattan; with crime, sex and drugs littering the streets throughout the night and into the early morning of Frank’s graveyard shift. This is something that Scorsese knows only too well, having grew up on these very streets himself, showcasing it in a large portion of his films. Frank must navigate around this pit of despair that has engulfed his inner core – almost suffocating him – forcing him to use drugs and alcohol to repress his feelings of guilt that consumes him. As mentioned, this is very much experimental, a passion project of sorts for Scorsese due to his experiences with paramedics as a youngster. Joined by frequent collaborators; the great Robert Richardson and Thelma Schoonmaker expertly using their skills – a scene with Frank driving chaotically with The Clash playing in the background is a standout – to show the mayhem in both Frank’s head as he struggles with his sanity, as well as the surrounding city.
Bringing Out the Dead has been on my list – a list that gets longer and longer as the days go by – for a long time. As a lifelong Scorsese fan, I was happy to see many of the tropes of what makes his films so special; a grittiness that comes with the violence, the sex, the drugs, and that famous Manhattan setting. There were obvious nods to religion; the beams of light for clarity, a possible beacon of hope, tips and tricks Scorsese has used for years to great effect. This film is not perfect by a long shot, it is possibly too chaotic at times, too reliant on the supernatural and escalated viscosity of the narration and the setting, but a large portion does work. Scorsese wanted to highlight the fact that paramedics are heroes (with his own little dark twist of course) and the message is kind of sweet, in a weird kind of way – a man at his wits end who just wants to help people to make himself feel useful – and it is a film that should be watched again by the people who originally critiqued it, and those people who are looking for an elaborately strong film.
Bringing Out the Dead is available to watch on Disney+.
No Comment.