Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fearful "Cape", 6 Nov 2006
Sometimes, the most terrifying monsters are the ones that look just like humans.
And one such monster is at the heart of "Cape Fear," one of the most harrowing movies from Hollywood's golden age. Rather than a straightforward thriller, this movie explores how sometimes both crime and justice can go outside the law -- and how far some people will go for revenge.
Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) sent Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) to prison for rape, eight years ago. Now Cady has been released, and is determined to settle the old score -- and Bowden's wife and teenage daughter are next. Bowden tries to get the police to help, but until Cady breaks a law, they can't do anything.
And so Cady begins his vendetta against Bowden -- he stalks Bowden's daughter and poisons the dog. He rapes a young woman, then frightens her into not telling. As Bowden's life becomes a living nightmare, he knows that he will have to go outside the law to deal with Cady -- and he'll have to set a trap.
Hitchcock would have been jealous. Not many movies -- even of his movies -- create the sense of pure evil that "Cape Fear" does. Stalking laws didn't exist back then, and so until a crime was committed and charges were pressed, the police literally could not do a thing.
And that conflict is the heart of "Cape Fear." As a lawyer, Bowden believes firmly in the justice of law at the beginning, but that is shattered when Cady uses the law for himself. J. Lee Thompson illustrates how law and justice aren't the same thing -- Cady is evil but works within the law, while Bowden must go vigilante to keep his innocent family safe.
And J. Lee Thompson does a great job creating this nightmare. Ominous music, shadowy sets, and taut, terrifying sequences that seem a little too real, such as when Cady relentlessly pursues little Nancy around the school. And the dialogue is as tight as the plot ("We're gonna nurse you back to health. And you're strong, Cady. You're gonna live a long life... in a cage!").
Peck and Mitchum are absolutely amazing in this movie. Few actors could pull off the cold, calculating evil of Mitchum's Cady. Rape, murder, pedophilia -- you name it, he'll do it. Peck is equally outstanding as the devoted father and husband, but he is at his best when Bowden is slowly being stretched to the breaking point.
"Cape Fear" is the sort of horror story that can happen in real life, and Peck and Mitchum's performances elevate it into a classic. Absolutely terrifying, amazingly made.
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"She [his dog] couldn't bite through a doughnut; but she's a good barker"., 17 Aug 2009
I agree with Trevor Willsmer that the J. Lee Thompson Cape Fear (1962) is better than Martin Scorsese's thoroughly nasty remake, though I'd award it a star less than he does, mainly because I found the motivation of this one bad man in relentless pursuit of one good man and his family a little unsatisfactory.
In The Scorsese version Nick Nolte's lawyer has deliberately suppressed evidence that would have helped his client Cady, whereas Gregory Peck's lawyer merely happens to be the chance witness to an attack on a woman by Cady. His evidence is instrumental in consigning Cady to 8 years in the pen. I don't know that this explains Cady's extreme, relentless desire for revenge during his sentence and afterwards; here in my view the Mitchum/Peck original is weak at its very centre, whereas the remake scores.
In all other respects I'm with Trevor - excellent b/w photography (director Thompson says in his Making Of interview that he rejected colour for b/w) that's particularly effective in the night finale scenes on the gleaming, sinister river, and Thompson's refusal to tone the story and its sexual implications down for the censor adds to the movie's credibility in today's more liberal era. Bernard Herrmann's music, though not quite up there with his very greatest scores (let's say Vertigo, North by North West, The Ghost and Mrs Muir, Taxi Driver) is mightily effective with its muted trumpets and throbbing cellos.
The Making Of interviews with a silver-haired Gregory Peck (aged 84, I think, though the voice is intact) and JL Thompson are not long but very interesting.
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11 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Every man has to go through hell to reach paradise...", 4 Mar 2004
Very few thrillers stand out like Martin Scorsese's "Cape Fear." It's a terrifying ride that frightens us to the very core. It shakes you violently and paints an intense picture of revenge that is taken to a whole different level. This is a dark and brutal film that doesn't let you off easy for a single second.Attorney Sam Bowden appears to have the perfect life upon simple examination. He has a loving wife and daughter, a very nice home, and a pretty successful and providing career. Things take a drastic turn when Max Cady is released from prison after serving a term of fourteen years. Cady was once represented by Bowden and is now looking for a little payback, as he feels that his former attorney didn't do everything he possibly could to keep him out of prison. Now, Sam must realize the present danger that is before him, as not only is his life in absolute danger--but also his family and everybody else he loves and cares for. The stakes have never been higher. This is an absolutely disturbing film that pulls no punches. It's a very uneasy movie to watch, and yet it is so well done that it is hard NOT to watch. Robert De Niro is extremely terrifying as the vengeful "Max Cady" who is out and about, looking to settle the score. This is definitely a signature role for De Niro, as this would be one of his many roles that he will be remembered for most. Nick Nolte also gives a remarkable performance that adds a human quality to his character. The movie is well written and is perfectly executed frame by frame. It plays like a Hitchcock film on ecstasy. Martin Scorsese flawlessly directs this horrifying picture and knows what strings to pull to get a reaction from us. Be warned, this is not a movie for those who have weak stomachs or faint hearts. The DVD does a splendid job when it comes to doing the movie the justice that it deserves. The picture quality is great--it is such a relief that I don't have to deal with the terrible laserdisc version that had the most horrendous picture quality. The sound quality is also great, and you even get the chance to watch it in DTS, if your system carries it. There are some cool extras for DVD fanatics, with extras like featurettes, deleted scenes, production notes, a theatrical trailer and more. Surely, there will be some who will want more for a film of this caliber, but the overall presentation is more than satisfactory. "Cape Fear" is a relentless thriller that is terrifying and suspenseful. The movie has an excellent cast, a great script, and an extremely talented director behind it all. Again, the movie is very intense and isn't recommended for those who have weak hearts and don't like scenes with graphic and disturbing violence. This is definitely a classic that will always be around in the fine world of cinema. -Michael Crane
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