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Released in October 1999,Martin Scorsese’svastly underrated crime-thrillerBringing Out the Deadalso ranks as one ofNicolas Cage’smost overlooked movies. While marking the only collaboration between Scorsese and Cage thus far,Bringing Out the Deadreunites the all-world filmmaker with acclaimed screenwriter Paul Schrader 23 years after the two madeTaxi Driver. Cut from similar cloth,Bringing Out the Deadfollows the nightly duties of Frank Pierce (Cage), an exhausted paramedic haunted by the hellish violence witnessed in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen.
WithBringing Out the Deadpoised to celebrate its 25th anniversary in October2024, it’s only right to reflect on the movie’s merits, how it was overlooked at the time of its release, why it remains underrated today, and why fans of Scorsese and Cage should give the film another shot. While it may always live in the shadow ofTaxi Driver, Bringing Out the Deadis a vividly lurid and nightmarish nocturnal journey into the heart of darkness led by Cage and Scorsese.
Adapted from the 1998 novel by real-life paramedic Joe Connelly,Bringing Out the Deadis a psychological drama and crime thriller set in New York’s seedy Hell’s Kitchen.The dark and gritty Nicolas Cage movieconcerns Frank Pierce, a burned-out NYC paramedic deeply vexed by the horrors he’s encountered on the job. Wracked by PTSD and insomnia, all Frank wants to do is find a peaceful night’s sleep. Alas, Frank is forced to work double graveyard shifts, responding to medical emergency calls and encountering sordid criminals, drug dealers, addicts, sex workers, and more.
Frank’s physical and emotional exhaustion leads to delirious, sleep-deprived hallucinations that blur reality.In addition to his exhaustion, Frank has depression and remains remorseful for failing to save a homeless teenager named Rose and becomes haunted by visions of her spirit. As Frank desperately seeks redemption and salvation, his only hope is a woman named Mary Burke, (Cage’s wife at the time, Patricia Arquette), whose father Frank saved from a lethal overdose.
As Frank and Mary get closer, Frank’s pulled back into the seedy underworld of New York’s criminal nightlife when he’s forced to stay on duty. Frank rides with wildly colorful partners, including Larry (John Goodman), the deeply devout Marcus (Ving Rhames), and the violent, foul-mouthed Tom Wolls (Tom Sizemore). Frank’s misunderstanding partners only exacerbate his existential angst and help to increase his hallucinations, forcing him to confront his troubled psyche and rest his conscience at the end ofthe underrated Scorsese movie.
Bringing Out the Dead
Released in 1999, Bringing Out the Dead is a crime-drama film by director Martin Scorsese. New York paramedic Frank Pierce suffers trauma after failing to save a teenager one night during an emergency call, leading to a fractured state of mind. During another emergency run, Frank discovers a dangerous drug is on the streets, which leads to a chaotic and dangerous string of three nights tied to the same narcotic.
Despite the movie’s Oscar-winning pedigree,Bringing Out the Deadis the only Scorsese movie released in the 1990s not to receive a single Academy Award nomination. While that hardly means the film is underrated,Bringing Out the Deadalso tanked at the box office.The film grossed a paltry $16.8 million against a $32 million budget(via Box Office Mojo), meaning it was quite literally overlooked when it was initially released in October 1999. Despite the movie’s commercial failure,Bringing Out the Deadgarnered positive reviews upon its releaseand still holds a 72 Metascore and 73% Rotten Tomatoes Score.
However, even those who praised the film couldn’t denyhow derivative the movie was when compared to Scorsese and Schrader’sTaxi Driver, the all-time great crime film nominated for four Oscars. Frank Pierce can be viewed as a disturbed cousin of Travis Bickle, with both service drivers witnessing the abject horrors of New York’s nocturnal criminal underbelly. De Niro plays Bickle with wiry nerves and a timid countenance that grows more aggressive. Cage plays Pierce like an angelic ghost whose sleepy delirium begins to blur his reality and moral compass.
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It’s also worth noting thatBringing Out the Deadsuffered from its release date. Remember,1999 was one of the best and most creative cinematic years on record. Movies likeEyes Wide Shut, American Beauty, Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, Being John Malkovich, The Matrix, The Green Mile, Election, Three Kings, The Insider, Magnolia, and many others came out in 1999. As such, it’s fair to say thatBringing Out the Deadgot lost in the qualitative shuffle. Moreover, the movie came on the heels of Scorsese’s acclaimedKundunand Cage’s Oscar-winning turn inLeaving Las Vegas, leaving the few who saw it slightly underwhelmed when comparing it to the actor and director’s best work.
While it was ignored at the time, partially due to comparisons to other movies,Bringing Out the Deadremains underrated 25 years later. Firstly, Cage gives one ofhis most understated performances, portraying a profoundly troubled soul desperate for redemption and salvation. Few actors have such wide performative swings that range from absurdly over the top to nuanced subtlety like Cage.InBringing Out the Dead,Cage opts for the latter, playing Pierce with a beleaguered pallor and sweaty, bleary-eyed torpor that proves he can dial a performance down to the minutiae when acting for a director of Scorsese’s caliber.
Beyond Cage’s tormented turn, Scorsese’s visceral direction puts viewers directly onto the blood-splattered pavement of Hell’s Kitchen. Along with three-time Oscar-winning Director of Photography Robert Richardson (who would later win Oscars for Scorsese’sThe AviatorandHugo), Scorsese’s use of flashy red neon from the emergency ambulance lights juxtaposed with the slick pavement of New York at night creates an otherworldly effect that reinforces Pierce’s hallucinations. Although Scorsese claimed he had a terrible time shooting the movie due to the brutal nighttime schedule in December, the authentic results cannot be denied.
Part of the movie’s visceral experience involves the timelessneedle drops curated by Scorsese. The director has used diegetic music sinceMean Streetsand inBringing Out the Dead, a vivid soundscape reinforces the visuals through pop songs by such diverse artists as Van Morrison and Frank Sinatra to The Clash, REM, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Jane’s Addiction, UB40, The Marvelettes, Leonard Bernstein, Burning Spear, The Melodians, 10,000 Maniacs, and more. Marc Anthony, who gives an inspired performance as drug addict Noel, also contributes two songs to the soundtrack.The eclectic musical selections underscore New York’s diverse melting pot and add textural appeal to the movie that still holds up.
Although cinephiles require no extra motivationto watch a Scorsese film,Bringing Out the Deaddeserves a second chance for several reasons. In 2022, Nicolas Cagetold Rolling StonethatBringing Out the Deadwas one of the best movies he ever made. If that wasn’t enough of an endorsement, Scorsese’s three-time Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker publicly defended the film in 2016. According to Schoonmakervia Den of Geek:
“It’s the only one of [Scorsese’s] films, I think, that hasn’t gotten its due. It’s a beautiful film, but it was hard for people to take, I think. Unexpected. But I think it’s great.”
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Schoonmaker went on to cite the movie’s mismarketing as its chief downfall, adding:
“What happened was, that film was about compassion, and it was sold, I think, as a car chase movie. When I saw the trailer I said, ‘Wait a minute! That’s not what the movie’s about!’ I think people were made nervous by the theme of it, which I think is beautiful. I think it’ll get its due.”
Part ofBringing Out the Deadgetting its due should include an official re-release on DVD, Blu-ray, or 4K. The film is currently out of print on physical media and new copies can hardly be obtained. As such, fans can try to score a physical copy of the film second-hand on auction sites like eBay. Even the most popular streamers do not have the film currently available. Yet, for those willing to track it down and give it a chance,Bringing Out the Deadwill prove why Scorsese and Cage must collaborate again sooner rather than later.
Bringing Out the Deadis available to stream on Hoopla & The Criterion Channel.
