Bringing Out The Dead (1999)
Top 10 - 1999
Martin Scorsese, a maestro of cinema returns to his favourite theme that is New York City. Scorsese knows New York and he loves his native city. Where Woody Allen pays tribute to his adored city, Scorsese examines the problems, complexities and densities of one of America's most fascinating cities.
Bringing Out The Dead is about a burned out NYC paramedic, haunted and shattered by the intensity and obscure nature of his job. The film takes place over 3 nights as he rides with 3 insane co-workers. The film is adapted from a novel written about New York paramedics and the difficulties and physical and mental testings of the job. The screenplay is written by Paul Schrader who also wrote the script to Scorsese's awesome Taxi Driver. Again, using Frank (Nicolas Cage) as his lens to the dark and shady corners of New York's 'barrel of humanity', Scorsese examines issues such as decay, degeneration and the meaning of death and life in certain respects. Are these poor, miserable, drugged beings crawling the streets at night really alive. This time it is New York of early 90s as opposed mid 70s in Taxi Driver.
Nicolas Cage provides an impressive performance and is supported by an array of very talented actors that include Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Tom Sizemore and Patricia Arquette.
A very good film, not a masterpiece, but proves that Scorsese never derails when it comes to making good films.
8/10
Top 10 - 1999
Martin Scorsese, a maestro of cinema returns to his favourite theme that is New York City. Scorsese knows New York and he loves his native city. Where Woody Allen pays tribute to his adored city, Scorsese examines the problems, complexities and densities of one of America's most fascinating cities.
Bringing Out The Dead is about a burned out NYC paramedic, haunted and shattered by the intensity and obscure nature of his job. The film takes place over 3 nights as he rides with 3 insane co-workers. The film is adapted from a novel written about New York paramedics and the difficulties and physical and mental testings of the job. The screenplay is written by Paul Schrader who also wrote the script to Scorsese's awesome Taxi Driver. Again, using Frank (Nicolas Cage) as his lens to the dark and shady corners of New York's 'barrel of humanity', Scorsese examines issues such as decay, degeneration and the meaning of death and life in certain respects. Are these poor, miserable, drugged beings crawling the streets at night really alive. This time it is New York of early 90s as opposed mid 70s in Taxi Driver.
Nicolas Cage provides an impressive performance and is supported by an array of very talented actors that include Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Tom Sizemore and Patricia Arquette.
A very good film, not a masterpiece, but proves that Scorsese never derails when it comes to making good films.
8/10