www.bringingoutthedead.com Nicholas Cage plays an EMT driver who spends his nights contemplating the Dante’s inferno of New York City in ‘Bringing Out the Dead.’

“Bringing out the Dead” is the “ER” you don’t want to see. There are no attractive doctors, friendly patients, or kind nurses in this realistic depiction of the life of an EMT. The happy moments are few and far between in this depressing drama that takes place in downtown New York City.

The viewer is immediately smothered by the contrasting feelings the movie conveys -- from frenetic scenes inside the ambulance to the dreary backdrop of the hopeless streets and alleys of New York.

We are introduced to Frank Pierce, played by Nicholas Cage, haunted by the ghosts of those he wasn’t able to save. In his character we see a burnt-out husk of a man, working a high-stress, thankless job. His depression turns to hallucinations and psychosis as he travels through the three days portrayed in the movie.

Frank is not alone on each of his grisly shifts. Each night, a different partner, each with a unique perspective on life and death and how to numb the “demons,” accompanies him. Frank doesn’t understand or want to accept the solutions his partners offer. Instead he chooses to remain tormented by guilt in the manifestation of the faces of people he “lost.”

On one of Frank’s emergency calls, he meets Mary Burke, played by Patricia Arquette. She is the daughter of a heart attack victim whom Frank is able to resuscitate. She spends much of the movie at the hospital looking after her comatose father. Her relationship with Frank helps him to learn about caring for others.

“Bringing out the Dead” is characteristic of director Martin Scorsese. Unique camera angles and high-speed filming accent the rush one must feel when racing around New York in an ambulance. This style is not unlike Scorsese’s “Goodfellas.” The sirens and quick cuts instill a sense of urgency, nervousness and excitement in the audience. This contrasts with the mood of the rest of the film, shot primarily in cold, bland, dark locations. The lighting and design make the viewer feel tired, down and stressed. This blend of emotional polarity made us feel exhausted, but made the movie feel authentic.

Calvin grad Paul Schrader writes the outstanding screenplay. This combined with the acting creates empathy and a relationship between the viewer and each of the characters. We liked the depth of character that each actor portrayed.

Schrader certainly has a touch for knowing what it is to be mortal. Cage’s character has hopes and fears, and isn’t a stereotypical movie hero, saving the day. He is depraved and makes no attempt to prove otherwise. He struggles with life and the problem of surviving and being human.

Throughout the movie, Cage metamorphizes from internal reflection to external altruism. He focuses on his own life at the beginning so intensely that he cannot see the needs of people he meets and how he can help them. He wants to save someone so that he can be rid of the haunting visions tormenting him.

By the end of the movie, Pierce recognizes his own fallibility. He cannot save everyone, but can try to save some.

This movie is chillingly realistic in its portrayal of life. There is no gloss or glory for the EMT drivers. We see them as ordinary people trying to do their job. The beautiful fusion of great writing, unique directing, and good acting bring this movie together as a gritty but touching look into the human condition.

We thought that some scenes could have been edited more tightly -- some of the shots seemed to hold for a long time when no action was taking place. The music also didn’t match well with a lot of the scenes and became distracting. One could qualify these critiques by pointing to the overall theme and emotional feeling of contrast. The long shots revealed the relief of the characters in the company of each other. These, along with the mismatched music, also conveyed an added feeling of stress.

We both enjoyed “Bringing out the Dead” immensely. People who are interested in humanity or that think “ER” is not real enough will enjoy this movie.