BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is one of those films whose premise didn't capture my imagination, and I gave it a pass upon its initial release. Judging by its box office and "stickiness" in the collective imagination, I imagine many others felt the same way and made the same choice. It was my loss, and it's theirs, too.
BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is an imaginative picture, presenting the viewer with sounds and images that make one think, "I can't believe this is the same guy who did THE AGE OF INNOCENCE Here, Scorsese and his team take us into the mind of Nicholas Cage's burned-out paramedic, a guy who hasn't managed to save a life in six months and who, through a combination of insomnia, guilt, and alcohol, is rapidly coming apart. To accomplish this, the movie plays with time,
perception, and illusion; and it imbues the viewer with a sense of hopeless desperation borne of one man's crisis and the larger crisis of the neighborhood crumbling around him.
Every single thing about this movie works. Cage works at his full potential, the supporting cast is first-rate, the music reinforces and strengthens the narrative, the photography is terrific, and the whole experience is like seeing a master conductor at work. BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is a technical and emotional success. Bravo.
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