Even the mighty and great, make an occasional stumble. Napoleon had his Waterloo, Kennedy, his Bay of Pigs, etc. In the case of filmmakers, it can be a case of coming back to humanity. They have done great work for so long, that high expectations are set, and thus, anything coming in under those expectations is a disappointment. Other times, as is the case here, it is a case of buckling under expectations, and giving the public what they want, instead of what they need. Martin Scorsese has given us Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Raging Bull and Last Temptation of Christ, just to name a few. All were great movies in their own right, and way. Bringing Out the Dead has the typical Scorsese touches of brilliance. However his touch is too heavy handed at times, and too light hearted at others. This makes the movie uneven, and ultimately, unsatisfying as a whole

Most of us know that these EMT's are the strongest of the strong, when it comes to will. They deal with death, pain, and suffering on a daily basis, and after a while, I agree, it has to get to them, hence, they need to vent, before they snap like twigs. It frightens me to think that those whom we put lives in the hands of, live the way these people do. If so, I may permanently remove 911 from my phone, and take my chances with something more reliable, like a faith healer.

Here, he attempts to take his perspective on life into the medical world and the effects of stress on the human soul. This stress and pain are shown through the eyes of Nicholas Cage, an actor I am not really fond of, save Leaving Las Vegas, but whom I agree, has very pained and expressive eyes. They serve him well, as we follow three days in his life, descent, and attempted recovery from the hell that his job has built around him. His supporting characters are almost an analogy of the levels of conflicting emotions going on inside him. Arquette reflecting his peace of mind, and attempt to hang onto what is left of himself and his sanity. Goodman, showing the signs of wanting to get out, reflecting a realization of what is coming, and wanting to escape before it does. Rhames, in a wonderful role, as a God-fearing man, past the point of burnout, who has accepted his place in life, and now uses it as a pulpit to preach and pass on his beliefs. Finally, Sizemore showing what happens when you snap, and it all becomes too much and escape is impossible. Brilliant characterizations all around, from a small time street punk, to a dealer who provides an "oasis" from the world's madness, Scorsese paints these characterizations effectively.

Scorsese is a master of reflecting that dark side of society that I have harped on many times before. The other side of the street, that we are afraid to go to, afraid to admit exists, but that we know, deep in down in places we don't talk about at parties, does exist. Scorsese is not afraid to step across that line, stand proudly, and hold up that mirror to show us what is there. We may not like what we see, more than likely we will not but that is the point. We are still transfixed to it, watching, like a rubbernecker at an accident, and that’s when he has his claws in us. Whether it be boxing, organized crime, or the NY underworld, Scorsese is our guide, and we, his unwilling, but curious participants. In Bringing Out the Dead, he just overdoes it. His touch is just too much. Yes, he gets our attention, but there is a point of diminishing returns, when you are making a statement, that the effectiveness is lost in overkill. Similar to striking a hammer on a nail one too many times, it will either break, or become flush in the surface, thus becoming useless. Scorsese drives the point home, over and over, with imagery, sounds and dialogue, but after a while, it is just all too much.   He overkills at times, and sugar coats it others.  I know it is an ironic attempt at humor, to show how these people deal with the madness of their job.   Frankly though, death, pain and suffering are no laughing matter.   Again, a point that is good to a certain extent, but once again, this is overdone, a bit tasteless, and even offensive in my eyes at times.

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