Here is one of the most under-appreciated films Martin Scorsese has ever made. It is practically unmentioned in his legacy of films, and yet it is one of his best and most modern. Starring Nicholas Cage as an ambulance driver with insomnia, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is haunting and beautiful, every shot calculated to a pastel work of color, night lights and striking power. I love this film. Cage's Frank Pierce is the modern version of De Niro's Taxi Driver. Both characters traverse the streets of New York City, and both have a deep and intense hatred towards the people of the city. Both work at night, and both were thought up by Paul Schrader and Scorsese. Pierce sees specters of the people he failed to save on every streetcorner, there's a gross routine to his work, and a number of illuminating characters. Shot with great charisma, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD considers Pierce's failures and the role he plays with them. These ambulance drivers avoid their duties, but in telling gestures. The hatred of people is most intriguing, Pierce is disgusted with a sort of immorality within his world in the same way that the taxi driver was, but he is stagnated and unable to act. BRINGING OUT THE DEAD is more frightening because it represents a constant stewing but never a boil.
Bringing Out The Dead: ★★★★
No comments:
Post a Comment