A rapist released from prison hatches a nefarious plan to desecrate the family of the lawyer who ruined him in Scorsese’s disturbing and intense Hitchcockian take on vengeance, control and submission, a studio remake of the 1962 original.
Review #3,039
Dir. Martin Scorsese
1991 | USA | Crime, Thriller | 128min | 2.35:1 | English
NC16 (passed clean) or strong violence, and for language
Cast: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Joe Don Baker
Plot: A convicted rapist, released from prison after serving a fourteen-year sentence, stalks the family of the lawyer who originally defended him.
Awards: Nom. for Golden Bear (Berlinale); Nom. for 2 Oscars – Best Leading Actor & Best Supporting Actress
Distributor: Universal
Accessibility Index
Subject Matter: Slightly Dark – Vengeance; Control & Submission
Narrative Style: Straightforward
Pace: Normal
Audience Type: Slightly Mainstream
Viewed: Netflix
Spoilers: No
Even though this might ultimately feel like a genre exercise by Martin Scorsese as he delivers a studio remake for Universal, Cape Fear still boasts plenty of trademark flourishes, including a hyperactive camera that tracks and spins like there is no tomorrow, while employing every part of Eisenstein’s theories of montage to create a whirlpool of fury and extreme anxiety.
Scorsese is also in deep homage mode here, hiring the great Elmer Bernstein (who would work with him again in 1993’s The Age of Innocence) to adapt Bernard Hermann’s score from the 1962 original.
At the same time, by association with Hermann’s iconic musical style, and through obvious visual nods to pictures like Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960), the spirit of Hitchcock could be palpably felt.
Cape Fear, however, is more than just tension; it’s pure terror and could be one of Scorsese’s darkest works. Even his menacing psychological thriller, Shutter Island (2010), feels sane in comparison, and that is really down to Robert De Niro’s terrifying Oscar-nominated performance as Max Cady, a rapist released from prison after 14 years.
“I keep feeling that there is some animal out there stalking us.”
Becoming much more literate and learned than ever before about the ways of the world, Max hatches a nefarious plan to stalk and desecrate the family of lawyer Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), whom he felt did not represent him faithfully all those years ago.
As Max disturbingly eyes Sam’s wife (Jessica Lange) and teenage daughter (Juliette Lewis, also Oscar-nominated), the fine line between total control and submission is pushed to the extreme.
That being said, this is still a Hollywood studio movie, albeit an R-rated one, so don’t expect anything out of a Gaspar Noe or Park Chan-wook film.
Seen today in the post-#MeToo era, Cape Fear may trigger audiences who are uncomfortable with graphic dialogue about threats of sexual assault or disgusted by Max’s blatant paedophilic behaviour.
It’s interesting to note that this was initially Spielberg’s pet project, but he ended up making Hook (1991) instead. Imagine if the directing roles had been reversed.
Grade: B
Trailer:
Music:
Eternality Tan 