With Bringing Out the Dead, Martin Scorsese returns to the same territory as Taxi Driver, with Nicolas Cage starring as Frank Pierce, an ambulance driver burnt out from his job and in desperate need to save someone. Like Taxi Driver, it takes place late night on the streets of New York, with a main character on the brink of insanity. However, while there are surface similarities, the characters and themes are completely different. Taxi Driver is about loneliness and the struggles of a man out of step with society. Bringing Out the Dead is about guilt Frank is haunted by the `ghosts' of those he failed to save. Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader carry over their wit and humor from Taxi Driver, only to a far greater extent, which gives the film a strange tone. There are numerous spots that walk the line between harrowing and hilarious - laugh out loud jokes interspersed with violence and blood. What is the result? Somehow these two mix together well to capture the strange insanity of the life that Frank lives. This odd mixture will be sure to put off viewers, and it doesn't seem quite right at parts, but on the whole it is quite effective.
The only thing this movie lacks that Taxi Driver has is an unforgettable main character Frank is a fully developed character, portrayed brilliantly by Nicolas Cage, but he doesn't have that uniqueness that Travis Bickle had. Everybody can see a little bit of Travis Bickle in themselves, but Frank's situation is so unique that at times it is difficult to relate to him. In fact, at times, he is even overshadowed by some of his partners, who are hilariously insane and over the top, superbly portrayed by John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore.
Perhaps the comparisons to Taxi Driver are unfair Bringing Out the Dead stands firmly on its own two feet. It's not perfect, but it is an incredibly ambitious project, and Scorsese and Cage deserve kudos for even taking the chance of making this film. When all is said and done, the merits far outweigh the flaws, and this goes down as a valuable addition to Scorsese's canon.
The only thing this movie lacks that Taxi Driver has is an unforgettable main character Frank is a fully developed character, portrayed brilliantly by Nicolas Cage, but he doesn't have that uniqueness that Travis Bickle had. Everybody can see a little bit of Travis Bickle in themselves, but Frank's situation is so unique that at times it is difficult to relate to him. In fact, at times, he is even overshadowed by some of his partners, who are hilariously insane and over the top, superbly portrayed by John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore.
Perhaps the comparisons to Taxi Driver are unfair Bringing Out the Dead stands firmly on its own two feet. It's not perfect, but it is an incredibly ambitious project, and Scorsese and Cage deserve kudos for even taking the chance of making this film. When all is said and done, the merits far outweigh the flaws, and this goes down as a valuable addition to Scorsese's canon.