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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Cape
Fear (1962)
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Reviewed
by: |
David
Litton |
| Genre: |
Thriller
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| Video: |
1.85:1
widescreen |
| Audio: |
Dolby 2.0
Mono |
| Language: |
English |
| Subtitle: |
English,
French, Spanish |
| Length: |
1 hr, 46
min |
| Rating: |
Not rated
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| Release
Date: |
9/18/01 |
| Studio: |
Universal
Pictures |
| Commentary:
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No |
| Documentaries:
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No |
| Featurettes:
|
The Making of Cape Fear
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| Filmography/Biography:
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Yes |
|
Interviews: |
No |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Yes |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
No |
| Music
Video: |
No |
| Other:
|
Production
photographs and notes, DVD-ROM features |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Gregory Peck,
Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Lori Martin, Martin Balsam, Jack
Kruschen, Telly Savalas, Barrie Chase |
| Screenplay
by: |
Written by:
James R. Webb |
| Produced
by: |
Sy Bartlett |
| Directed
By: |
J. Lee Thompson |
| Music: |
Bernard Hermann
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| The
Review: |
The 1962
version of "Cape Fear" is a classic horror movie in every sense
of the word, with its high-pitched, screaming soundtrack, its
acting, and the story that strays away from the violence seen
in today's movies, but still takes a daring step for its time.
Director J. Lee Thompson weaves suspense into every moment through
his pacing, and with the help of gifted actors Gregory Peck
and Robert Mitchum, who play the cat-and-mouse battle exquisitely.
Peck is Sam Bowden, an attorney who begins to suspect that recently
released convict Max Cady, played by Mitchum, is after his family
in a game of revenge. Bowden testimony against Cady is what
put him away for eight years, and Cady is out for more than
just a monetary payoff. As he watches the Bowden family, he
is careful not to overstep the boundaries of the law, which
makes it increasingly difficult for Bowden to bring him up on
any charge. Bowden soon realizes that the only avenue of protection
for his family is to set a trap for Cady, prove that he is out
to harm his wife and child, and have him either arrested or
killed on the spot. This leads to the famed showdown on Cape
Fear, in which Cady brings out the family's worst nightmares.
It's interesting to watch thrillers from this day and age, and
compare it to the tactics used in such movies as "Cape Fear."
In a society where we resort to such violent and gruesome tactics
in movies, sometimes it's nice to escape that and find something
out of the norm. The scene in this film in which Cady physically
oppresses Bowden's wife only gives off the impression that rape
is almost inevitable, but to see her face frozen in that moment
of utter fear is as frightening and eye-opening as anything
Hollywood can dish up. The movie plays with the audience on
many occasions, with effective results. A scene involving Bowden's
daughter running from the pursuing Cady is charged with suspense,
though in the end, he was not the one coming after her. Much
like it's main protagonist, we are left in the dark as to solid
evidence to convince us of Cady's guilt in such crimes as poisoning
the family dog, leaving us to invest our own opinion in the
characters. This is an easy task, given the stellar acting from
the two male leads. Gregory Peck portrays a man driven to the
end of his rope quite well, and the inner collapse we see in
Sam Bowden is given a believable complexity. It is Robert Mitchum,
however, who steals the show with his heart-stopping performance
as Cady, evoking a subtle chill that permeates the entire movie.
His ability to portray a character who remains calm in the most
disturbing moments makes his performance a stand-out, one to
be heralded for its authenticity and true-to-life nature. "Cape
Fear" will go down as a classic, and deserves such a fate. It
is the ideal model of a classic thriller, and it proves at many
times that there is such a thing as subtle terror instead of
big gross-out effects that will keep the audience in the mindset
of the movie. I look at the picture as nothing more than a suitable
thriller that's a bit risky for its time period, and it works
well. -- |
| Image
and Sound |
For
a dated movie, this DVD is a commendable release on the basis
of its sharp images and clean audio, even for mono. The picture
is black and white, and for the most part, completely solid.
There is very little noise or distraction for a picture that
is clean, with sharp edges. The mono soundtrack may be centered
in one channel, but is devoid of the little cracks and low hum
that we get so many times from older movies. Universal has done
a good clean-up job on this picture, and I was highly pleased.
-- |
| The
Extras |
Again,
for a dated movie, there are some very good supplemental materials
included with the release of "Cape Fear." "The Making of Cape
Fear" features interviews with Gregory Peck, director Thompson,
and others, who all discuss their working together on the project.
A lot more interesting than some of the featurettes we get today,
which are basic plot summaries of their movie with little behind-the-scenes
information or footage. The production photographs are nice
to look at, and the theatrical trailer is one of the best of
its kind. Not a bad release, especially when you consider what
the DVD could have been like. -- |
| Commentary |
None |
| Final
Words: |
An interesting little B movie that
serves its purpose, "Cape Fear" succeeds in bringing you into
its world and taking you on a journey of fear. Its acting
is stellar, and its story is very intrigung. The DVD has more
to offer than you originally thought could ever be included
with such a film, making it a justifiable purchase for anyone
who is a fan of the film.
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