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Bringing Out the Dead

Australian Rating: R

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Tom Sizemore

Director: Martin Scorsese

Genre: Drama/Psycho flashy acid trip film

My first thought when I heard about this movie was that, being a Scorsese film, Bringing OUt the Dead would accordingly be quite violent, as the R-rating suggested. However after viewing this (ahem) movie, I was left wondering why the hell it was given an R-rating (which in Australia means that it is restricted to viewing by those over 18). There is violence, but not that much. At the most it should have received MA15+ I have seen much more violent and vulgar films resting with an M-rating.

Anyway, without concern out of the way, my warning is that if you don't like hidden messages, and prefer a simple film with obvious themes, then you will absolutely hate Bringing Out the Dead. Personally, I have nothing against hidden themes, I love them in fact, but BOTD just isolated me from the main character, an ambulance driver (Cage) plagued by the image of a young girl he failed to save. Basically the whole film is like a big acid trip (and Cage's character does slip something of the sort in one scene) and seems far too unreal to be of any concern. The saving grace of the film is the performances and the frequent witty lines. Cage is exceptional, as is Arquette as the daughter of a heart-attack victim who Cage endeavoured to save, but who remains in the hospital for the whole film, suffering over seventeen heart failures. Ambulance driving partners John Goodman and Tom Sizemore both prove their acting range, but in the end there is not much to save this film from leaving the audience numb and unaware of what the hell the whole freaking point was!

There are many funny lines, which lifts the film a notch. But BOTD is too much like a bad revolving door with abstract art plastered on the glass panels, relentlessly spinning, while you scream helplessly, "Stop! I can't take the pain anymore!". Being a bit long for the content doesn't help either, and the conclusion is too obvious and weakly achieved.

A good enough effort. Interesting directing style from Scorsese, good performances, funny moments, but it seems to add up to less than the sum of its parts.

Wait for video. You can always fast forward that way!

Last updated: 24 August, 2000