Martin Scorsese and Nicolas Cage were on quite a tear in the 1990s. Scorsese directed five critically acclaimed movies throughout the decade that all earned Academy Award attention. Nicolas Cage earned his well-deserved Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas and would soon become one of the biggest action stars of the decade. In 1999, these two virtuoso artists collaborated for their last movie of the century with Paul Schrader coming in to write the screenplay. The stars aligned; with this kind of talent coming together at a high point of each of their careers, could we expect anything less than one of the greatest movies of the 20th century? Let’s take a closer look at Bringing Out the Dead.
Nicolas Cage stars as Frank Pierce, a paramedic in New York City working the graveyard shift. The story follows Frank over a period of three turbulent nights working with different partners played by John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore. Frank tries to maintain his sanity working his shifts as he forms an unlikely friendship with a daughter of one of the patients. He also has various run-ins with bizarre characters and is haunted by visions of his past.
The best part of this movie is, of course, Nicolas Cage. To prepare for his role he rode along with real NYC paramedics to get a feel for what they do and what they go through. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he was on a three hour sleep schedule during the entire 65-day shoot. He looks completely exhausted throughout the entire movie and his “Cagey” moments start to reveal themselves as his shifts become increasingly hectic. I enjoyed his performance overall and the strength he brought to the role.
Ving Rhames must be singled out and recognized for what I believe is his best performance. His character is an energetic, religious paramedic that tags along with the Cage on his second shift. It was easily the most exciting act of the movie and it made me wish Rhames would consider taking on more roles like this, as opposed to his typecast-character as a quiet, more subdued tough guy. He and the Cage play really well off of each other and if this movie lacked anything, it was more screen time for Ving Rhames.
Schrader once again successfully encapsulates the darker side of NYC nightlife. So much of this movie reminded me of Scorsese’s and Schrader’s first collaboration, Taxi Driver. Both movies are about a character who is slowly losing his sanity while he observes the horrors of the NYC night life working graveyard shifts. Both characters narrate the story, giving us a window into their dwindling state of mind. I appreciate Schrader revisiting similar themes through a different lens. It feels familiar yet unique and original at the same time.
In the end, I think the film’s shortcomings came down to its lack of pacing and direction. This is Scorsese’s only film he made in the 90s that received no Oscar nominations, and it shows. The direction did not feel on par with his prior films and there are some odd choices that don’t do much for the story. The narrative also doesn’t go anywhere interesting. I love the premise that Schrader sets up for us. But unlike Taxi Driver, I was left unsatisfied with this ending with not much to think about.
With the right expectations, this is a good watch. The performances are on par and there’s enough going on in the story to keep things interesting. I just think with the combination of Cage, Scorsese, and Schrader, I was expecting a lot more out of the movie. Overall, if you’re a Cage fan (or a Ving Rhames fan for that matter) you will not be let down.
