Customer Reviews

Bringing Out the Dead [VHS]

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

Bringing Out the Dead is one of Martin Scorsese's better movies. It is not quite up to the level of Mean Streets, Goodfellas, or Raging Bull; but is is better than most of his other works. Personally, I liked it more than Taxi Driver, the movie to which it is most often compared, but it may be too early to tell which is truly the better film. Nicholas Cage gives the best performance of his career, and the other actors are perfect for their roles. My favorites were Tom Sizemore, Cliff Curtis, Mary Beth Hurt and Ving Rhames. The screenplay is much better than it got credit for being, and is thought provoking, darkly hilarious, and maybe even profound. As expected, the cinematography and film editing are astounding, and the soundtrack is amazing. No other director could have handled this material as well as Martin Scorsese. So many other directors would have made it into some kind of tearjerker, but he takes a huge risk by making it funny (this risk didn't seem to pay off commercially, as BOTD didn't do too well at the box office)as well as dramatic. This was one of the very best movies of 1999 and it deserves to be remembered for years to come.

Life is not perfect and neither is this film. Having been a 911 dispatcher at one time and now, having just watched this movie twice, I can tell you that that is the whole point.

Closer to "Taxi Driver" than any of Scorsese's other films, this movie is far better: Better camera work, better screenplay, better supporting actors, and more interesting and sympathetic characters. For those of you who like a movie that ties everything up in a nice little bow - this ain't it! If you want to see a movie that treats you like an intelligent human being and challenges you, then see it. I liked how this movie presents it's characters with ambivalence, not in Hollywood stereotype. The viewer gets to develop his or her own perceptions of the characters and events.

This movie is adapted from a book of the same name by Joe Connelly. It follows paramedic Frank Pierce over the course of 3 hot night shifts in a scummy part of NYC, and he is gradually coming apart at the seams. Nicolas Cage gives such an honest, moving, and believable portrayal of Frank that it's amazing. In other roles, John Goodman is his first partner and is (as usual) instantly engaging and interesting. Ving Rhames is Frank's second partner and he gives a stirring, forceful and poetic performance - larger than life yet still believable. Tom Sizemore then comes along as that crazy guy you knew at some point in your life and you can't believe he wound up a paramedic. I have to deduct one star for Patricia Arquette's performance: Compared to the performances of everyone else it seemed she was "acting" while they were "being".

I suggest watching "Bringing Out The Dead" twice, because the first time around it may seem to have no real ending. But, if you look at the movie as you would look at real life, you'll see their's only one true ending.

I should start this with a disclaimer...bad behaviour is bad behaviour, and drunken criminal activities are far from the norm in EMS. However, if you put this movie in context, a true "insiders" context, it serves much the same purpose as the original book: cathartic release of the BS that builds up over years of cleaning up society's messes. As a long time paramedic who has worked in big city EMS for several cities I have to say this movie digs down almost a little too deeply into the dregs of my psyche. The movie gets it right, if not in a documentary like depiction of a real "day in the life", it is an excellent glimpse into the mind of a medic who needs some time off and shows you all the reasons why. Anyone who is considering a career in EMS should avoid this movie...it's really not this bad most of the time. Anyone already in EMS should see this movie with a bunch of your co-workers, you'll laugh your a$& off.

The opening of Martin Scorsese's latest film, "Bringing Out The Dead", shows a weary eyed Nicolas Cage driving an ambulance during the haunting late night hours in Hell's Kitchen. Van Morrison is playing as the opening credits role. You know your watching Scorsese doing what he does best.

The film is about a medic and how he copes with his late night hours and his inability to sleep due to being haunted by ghosts. The story also leaves room for interesting characters played by a great cast including Ving Rhames, Patricia Arquette, Tom Siezmore, John Goodman, and Marc Anthony (yes, the singer).

This film is being compared to Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" and having Paul Schrader writing the script, it seems fitting. But the film is all on its own. It wouldn't be any different had "Taxi Driver" not been released despite that it is not quite as good. It is definately Nicolas Cage's best film and another great addition to Scorsese's list of classic films.

This is exhiliarating filmmaking. Gorgeously shot and masterfully directed, Martin Scorsese teams up with screenwriter Paul Schrader to create a tale simliar (yet strikingly different) from their first collaboration, the amazing 'Taxi Driver'. Comparisons between the two films are inevitable: both have lead characters near the point of breaking who patrol the streets nightly (De Niro is a taxi cab and here, Nicolas Cage in an ambulance) briefly walking into people's live, each unable to connect with anyone. Cage's character spends each night patroling the streets of New York City, trying desperately to save lives but failing. He has been on a bad streak, patients seem to keep dying on him. He is haunted by the ghost of a young girl who shows up in front of his eyes, almost constantly, asking 'why did you kill me?'. He is assigned to increasingly unhinged partners (John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore... all perfect), begs to be fired, and falls for the daughter of a stroke victim (Patricia Arquette, convincingly torn and broken). It is a harrowing film, complete with many grisly scenes, and could easily be the most depressing film ever made. But Scorsese has other plans. The film is very much about redemption and salvation. About saving one's soul and how hard it is to do just that. Carrying us through it all is Nicolas Cage's wonderful performance, a walking time-bomb fueled by guilt and lonliness. The DVD edition is super-light on extras. No commentary track, just a few trailers and interviews. But the startling picture quality is enough to warrant it's purchase. A film this alive and hallucinatory benefits from the clarity of DVD. This is Scorsese's finest work outside of his usual ganster foree and should be seen by his fans and non-fans alike. It is a nightmare of a dream come true.

This is a highly unappreciated film from director Martin Scorsese. It receaved only luke warm reviews (except from Ebert who praised the film) but diserved more. The movie is about an EMS ambulance driver, totally burnt out, on the job during a long weekend. At the begining of the film he is suffering from a shattered god complex meaning up untill then he thought he was god like but recently he has not been saving lives and is starting to feel that it is his fault. This whole film is about internal conflict. He sub-counciously makes himself see ghosts as a form of punishment for (in his mind) not doing his job properly. Throughout the film he meets certain people and sees certain thing that help him come to terms with the fact that it is not his fault. It is well acted, has a great soundtrack but the best thing about it is the directing. The brilliance and skill in which the whole movie is shot (praticulary the ambulance scenes) is amazing. And Paul Schrader's script is also brilliant. It is up there with "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver" although not quite as good. A wonderful, enchanting film that I recommened to anybody that loves a good, quality film. Thanx.

This is a good movie; I liked it a lot. That said: After seeing it, I bought and read the book. The ending of the book is one of the most poetic, beautifully sad and perfect endings I've ever read. Why did Scorsese and crew change it for the movie? Probably to make it more upbeat, more crowd-pleasing(condescending). Whatever the reason, it's a crime and a shame. I recommend seeing the movie first and then reading the book. That way you'll enjoy both.

I really like Scorcese's work, and this is one of my more favorites. In this darkly humorous film he returns to NYC to tell several stories, the primary being that of Nic Cage playing a paramedic determined to quit his job, but who just can't let go. We see how he spends his nights, amidst the flotsom and jetsom of NY, saving a few, losing some, and mostly, as he says "bearing witness" to the injury and death that surrounds him.

The supporting characters in this film were all strong. From the confused girl he tries to connect with, to the wild and crazy medics he works with, to the cynical and depressed doctors he interacts with, even the suave drug dealer are all fully fleshed out and intriguing.

This is not a feel-good movie. It's not a date movie. It's not a chick flick. It's a movie that will make you think, that will swirl around in your head for a while and even disturb you a bit. But that can be a good thing, and makes this movie all the better, in my opinion. Well worth the rental, or purchase on DVD.

Okay...I am pleased to see all of the five star reviews of this wonderful film, yet I cannot ignore the many one star reviews found throught this page. Did these people, who claim to have found the film boring (how one can be bored with all of the incredible images, the wonderful editing, and the facinating colors, cinematography, or characters is beyond me) miss every bit of Christian symbolism in the story? How could one do this? The symbolism runs rampant throughout the entire film. These viewers certainly know that Scorsese almost became a Catholic priest, and Christian symbolism appears in every one of his films. Also, how can one view this film without being intrigued by this film's incredible character study? Do viewers these days want plot and only plot? Do they not want to think about what they viewing? Does anybody analyze cinema anymore? I would like to think so, especially when there are films like this, with so much material to be analyzed, being released by major studios. What is wrong? When a talented actor like Nicholas Cage does an art film (does this classify as an art film? I probably think so), people say he made a mistake, or was "bribbed" (see review below)? I would just like to know what is going on.

Well, anyway...the film is great. If you're thinking about buying it, you should. Unfortunatly, the DVD does not include a commentary, but the film mostly speaks for itself. The acting is wonderful, the sets are wonderful, the score is wonderful, the screenplay is wonderful, the cinematography is wonderful, and, of course, the directing is outstanding (listen for Scorsese as the dispatch operator). Those of you looking for an intelligent, fast-paced film...do not miss this one.

This movie is for anyone who works or has worked in EMS. It captures the inner most thoughts of someone long on the job. Okay not everyone is hearing voices, but there are days you may.