Nicolas Cage Wants One Movie Of His To Get Another Life And He’s Absolutely Right
In a recent interview with Deadline, Nicolas Cage had a very candid discussion about what he thinks is his most underrated movie: Bringing Out the Dead. Cage has starred in too many movies to count, which must make it incredibly difficult for him to choose a favorite.
Looking back on his career, Bringing Out the Dead is one movie he hopes to see get a second chance and newfound appreciation because it never really had a chance upon its 1999 release.
Bringing Out the Dead
On paper, one would think that Bringing Out the Dead would be both a critical and commercial success. Nicolas Cage was at the height of his popularity (the first time around), and John Goodman had an excellent supporting role.
Plus, the one and only Martin Scorsese directed the damn thing. But despite being well-received by critics and fans alike, it never took off commercially for a couple of reasons.
Paramedic Existential Crisis
In the late ’90s, Nicolas Cage was dominating the action and adventure movie circuit. For context, Bringing Out the Dead was released not too long after Snake Eyes, The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off, and just before films like Gone in 60 Seconds.
According to Cage, the Paul Shrader (Taxi Driver) film was marketed more like an action/adventure ambulance film rather than a story of a burned-out paramedic experiencing an existential crisis.
Never Reached Target Audience
Though those who understood the assignment appreciate the movie for the dark, painful character analysis that it was, it’s easy to see why audiences may have been disappointed by this Nicolas Cage film based on expectations alone.
In other words, Bringing Out the Dead never had a chance to reach its target audience. What’s more, those who were expecting an action movie may have been just a little bit rattled by themes of mortality and spirituality that they weren’t expecting after watching the trailer.
Rediscovered And Appreciated?
Now that classic films are getting restored in high-definition digital formats for streaming, Nicolas Cage hopes that Bringing Out the Dead will be rediscovered and appreciated for the masterpiece that it truly is.
In an ideal world, the Dream Scenario actor would love to sit down with Martin Scorsese and do an interview that talks in depth about the movie that he holds in such high regard.
In the meantime, you can hear an excellent breakdown of the film on the GenreVision podcast.
Nicolas Cage Looking For Redemption
One thematic element that Nicolas Cage talked about involved how closely related Bringing Out the Dead is to 1976’s Taxi Driver.
Aside from the obvious fact that both films were written by Paul Schrader and directed by Martin Scorsese, they also occupy the same spiritual territory while having wildly different outcomes.
While Taxi Driver shows us the depths of Travis Bickle’s (Robert De Niro) psychosis as he spirals out of control into a frenzy of irredeemable violence, Bringing Out the Dead shows us Nicolas Cage’s Frank Pierce looking for redemption after a series of ill-fated emergency calls.
One Of Nicolas Cage’s Best Performances
Both films are opposite sides of the same coin that explore what isolation, loneliness, and spiritual angst can do to a man who’s on the verge of a total psychological collapse.
And these emotional throughlines become apparent if you watch both films back-to-back.
Though Bringing Out the Dead is a far cry from action/adventure blockbusters like National Treasure or Gone in 60 seconds, it is one of Nicolas Cage’s best performances.
If you want to ease your way into the dark subject matter, we’d suggest checking out films like The Weather Man, Matchstick Men, and Dream Scenario to get you primed for the film that most of us slept on but shouldn’t have.
Source: Deadline
