"Bringing Out the Dead" is a masterpiece

This is already becoming one of Scorsese's most unloved, forgotten films and I can't see why. This is definitely one of those films that needs a second look to be fully appreciated, but there is so much to love here.

Nicolas Cage, in one of his truly best and most fitting roles, is Frank the paramdic, haunted by ghosts of people who died on him. But eally, as written by Paul Schrader, this is a lok at the inner demons of being out there, every night, in NYC, among te worst and seeng the worst that the city has to offer.

Maybe I'm reading a bit into it, but I also see the Ghosts of Christmas Present, Past, and Future, embodied in John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore. Each ride with Frank at different points, each have a different outlook on the job. Goodman views it as a job, a way to pay the bills. Rhames as a divine calling, Jesus working throgh him on earth. And Sizemore is in it for the adrenaline thrills and as a means to play God, a vigilante-style paramedic out for blood any way he can. And they each ort of coincide with Frank's views at diffrent points in the film.

Cage and Schrader really take some iteresting looks at life and death. My favorite passge is when Frank admits that his training is only relevant 10 of the time, an that he saves life even less than that. He is there to "bear witness. I am a grief mop. It's enough that I just show up." Powerful stuff. Scorsese's direction s vibrant and alive, and Robert Richardsons cinematogaphy makes the horrific breathtaking. Even Elmer Bernstein proides an uncharacteristically moody score that works perfectly.

And yet no on seems to ever mention this film. I don't get it at all. Please tell me there are a bunch of closet admirers for this film.

Perhaps, but consider that "Gangs of New York", which I love but find to be one of Scorsese's most uneven efforts, was a Best Picture nominee, as was "The Aviator". Even "Casino", which I think is one of his worst films, is more widely known. I rank this pretty high within Scorsese's filmography, and while I know that its admired, it doesn't seem to have many very vocal fans.

I think Patricia Arquette works quite well actually. I mean, if we're looking at the work of paramedics and the madness of this hospital, it makes sense to show how a normal family member might view the whole thing. She is the only thing sort of keeping Frank grounded and not off the deep end, and her father provides him with a chance to put things right in his own mind. And whether you like her looks or not, she definitely plays as the former addict struggling to get by.

This makes me even more regretful that Sizemore and Rhames don't get more quality work. They both had a streak, at around the same time, where they were playing in all the greats films. Now Rhames is doing TV and DTV stuff, and Sizemore is an absolute mess.

I love Rhames in every scene. "Never give mouth to mouth. Most of the time you just end up with a mouthful of puke. Junkie puke." and his flirting with the dispatcher. And Sizemore's relationship with his "bus", "I have tried to kill this bus, but he will not die. I respect that."

I like this the more I think about it.

I also think that Nicolas Cage is perfectly suited for his role here. The night owl, going crazy, tormented paramedic. His whole look works for Frank, and he nails the Scorsese voice-over, something not everyone has done. I think a lot of the time he tries to wdge himself into roles that he either doesn't fit into or can just be passable in. But every now and then there is an "Adaptation" or "Matchstick Men", and that's where he really excels. I'd say this is easily close to his best performance.

I think this movie does have that reputation, but a bit underservedly so I think. Its nowhere near as dark as "Taxi Driver" IMO, and actually leaves on a rather hopeful ending. Not only has Frank saved a baby, Nole, and the drug dealer, he has more controversially "helped" that father of Arquette's character. He then gets a reassuring visit from Rose and the first good night's sleep in ages with Arquette, complete with sunrise.

And it has a lot more humor than I initially remembered, mostly from Rhames and "Griss", but Sizemore is pretty hilarious too at times.