Revisiting BRINGING OUT THE DEAD in 4K

BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (4K UHD)

1999 / 121 min

FROM PARAMOUNT

Review by Princess Pepper😺

That bastion of accuracy, Wikipedia, currently defines Bringing Out the Dead as a “supernatural horror drama film.” Of course, anything you read on that website should be taken with a grain of salt, but in revisiting the film for the first time since 1999, I have to concede it does sometimes have a horror aesthetic. Or more accurately, the entire thing unfolds like some kind of nightmarish fever dream.

Still, Wikipedia may want to reconsider their policy of allowing anybody to edit the site.

As for the movie itself…we here at Free Kittens hold director Martin Scorsese in the highest regard. Not everything he’s made has been great, but with the possible except of New York, New York, they’ve all been worth seeing. 1999’s Bringing Out the Dead remains one of his less-heralded efforts - for good reason - though it does have its share of admirers, who’ll certainly like this 25th Anniversary 4K edition, #47 in the Paramount Presents series.

But while Bringing Out the Dead doesn’t rank among Scorsese’s greatest pictures, it arguably features one of Nicholas Cage’s greatest performances. As burnt-out, tormented paramedic Frank Pierce, he perfectly conveys the character’s weariness, depression, cynicism and, most significantly, perpetual guilt over failing to save a young girl’s life months before…a tragedy that haunts him every night. Displaying just the right measures of desperation and vulnerability, this is Cage at his most dynamic. 

"Nice shot, Frank! Fifty points!"

Elsewhere, the setting, dark tone and episodic nature of the film reminds me a little of Taxi Driver, minus the terrifying protagonist. But unlike that classic, this one is populated by too many broadly-drawn secondary characters, compounded by some overwrought performances (especially those of Ving Rhames and Tom Sizemore). Maybe that’s intentional in order to convey the black comedy elements of Paul Schrader’s screenplay, but it’s sometimes handled with the subtly of a mallet. 

Still, we’ll take second-tier Scorsese over most other directors’ magnum opuses any damn day of the week, and though it’s a bit overlong, Bringing Out the Dead remains a gritty, engaging and occasionally haunting film with some stunning moments (both creatively and technically). Like other recent Paramount Presents releases, it boasts an excellent 4K transfer and includes a great batch of new bonus features, along with some carried over from previous versions.

Just don’t call it a horror movie.

EXTRA KIBBLES

4K, BLU-RAY & DIGITAL COPIES

NEW FEATURETTES - Filmmaker Focus features director Martin Scorsese, who is always worth listening to; A Rumination on Salvation is a new interview with Nicholas Cage; Cemetery Streets is a new interview with screenwriter Paul Schrader; City of Ghosts is a new interview with cinematographer Robert Richardson.

ON SET - Individual archival interviews with actors Patricia Arquette, Ving Rhames John Goodman, MarcAnthony and Tom Sizemore.