Review of Bringing Out the Dead (1999) by Anthony M — 12 Jun 2009

For some reason this movie was overlooked by almost everyone even though it was directed by Martin Scorsese. I'm glad I finally checked it out. It is a harrowing and sometimes funny look at the job of an ambulance paramedic.

It is the saddest and the most rewarding job all in one. Nick Cage plays a paramedic that has pretty much been burnt out by the job. He is haunted by voices and visions of his past and all he wants is a break.

The film takes you all over New York as you basically see every kind of sick, hurt or dead person there is. In that sense the film is like one long episodic nightmare. It has a very surreal feeling sometimes and other times it is all too real.

Even though this sounds pretty grim, the film isn't without humor. All of Cage's partners are sometimes hilarious and even Cage laughs at everything sometimes. You can't have a job like this and not have a sense of humor because how would you deal with it.

I really don't remember seeing another film that realistically showed what it's like to be a paramedic working the midnight shift. Now I know what those guys go through every day and I definitely appreciate what they do much more.

But I would give this 4 stars just for the fantastic direction and cinematography because there really isn't a single uninteresting shot in the entire movie.