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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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Cape
Fear (1991)
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Reviewed
by: |
David
Litton |
| Genre: |
Thriller
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| Video: |
2.35:1
widescreen |
| Audio: |
DTS 5.1,
Dolby Surround 5.1 |
| Language: |
English,
French, Spanish |
| Subtitle: |
English |
| Length: |
2 hrs, 8
min |
| Rating: |
R |
| Release
Date: |
9/18/01 |
| Studio: |
Universal
Pictures |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
|
Yes |
| Featurettes:
|
Yes |
| Filmography/Biography:
|
Yes |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
Yes |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
Yes |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
DVD-ROM features,
matte paintings, photo montage |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Robert De
Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Robert Mitchum,
Gregory Peck |
| Screenplay
by: |
Written by:
Wesley Strick |
| Produced
by: |
Barbara de Fina |
| Directed
By: |
Martin Scorsese
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| Music: |
Elmer Bernstein
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| The
Review: |
"Cape Fear"
has two different complexes: one is that of a smart, spine-tingling
psychological thriller, and the other is that of a revenge thriller.
Martin Scorsese's remaking of the 1962 classic captures some
of the previous film's essential mind game elements, while adding
its own mix of violence that is kept to a minimum until being
released in a frenzy in the finale. All of this works surprisingly
well, but after the film ends, it has a certain sense of underachievement
hanging over its head. The film stars Robert De Niro as ex-con
Max Cady, just released from prison, out for a taste of revenge
against his former attorney, Sam Bowden, played by Nick Nolte.
Bowden has his own family troubles to begin with: he is having
an affair behind his wife Leigh's back, and his daughter Danielle
is going through the perilous years of teenage woes. He becomes
increasingly uneasy when Cady begins appearing out of nowhere
to confront him with psychological games, and fears that he
may harm his family. It's parts like these that make actors
great, and each one relishes their part like no other film I've
seen. Robert De Niro takes twisted to a whole new level, portraying
Cady as a smart yet cagey psychopath. There are times when his
presence is enough to chill you to the bone. Nolte's performance
is equally intense, especially later in the film, when he begins
to cave in on himself trying to rid himself of Cady. Cady does
not make is very easy for Bowden, though. He brutalizes the
woman Bowden is having the affair with, poisons the family dog
and later returns to return the collar, denying his involvement
in the animal's death. Turning to the law, Bowden is stunned
to learn that nothing can be done because of the lack of no
physical evidence, and, in turn, decides to take matters into
his own hands to protect his family. Martin Scorsese gives his
film a sense of style parallel to that of Hitchcock, from the
high-strung soundtrack to fancy camera angles and shots. There
are times when the camera is fixed in a still position, while
at others it moves steadily, non-stop. Some scenes in which
one actor is close to the camera, while the other is seen off
to the side, give the movie an unconventional feel, calling
us back to the days of thrillers long ago. Scorsese is a true
director, and his attention to story and style are unmatched
by many. The mind games that Cady plays on the Bowden family
are cold and mysterious, the perfect mix of intelligence and
insanity. His attack on Bowden's mistress causes a stir between
he and Leigh, but the real tingler is a very effective scene
that takes place in a school auditorium as Cady begins to dig
into the mind of Danielle, preying on her teenage rebellion
against her parents in an attempt to win her over. His plan
is completely insane in its purpose, but utterly intellectual
in its careful planning. It's only a shame that this wonderful
assault on the psyche is almost ruined by an ending that is
standard, run-of-the-mill concluding material that leaves us
little surprise. It takes a well-known path in which the people
we guess will die do die, leaving those we wish would die alive.
There is no shock or stunned amazement, no look of disbelief
on our faces, because nothing is different. This adds to the
movie's feeling of underachievement, as it had so many things
going for it. Instead of ending the film the way we have already
guessed, it may have been more intriguing to see Cady use his
mind tricks to further his revenge, until he exacts the ultimate
revenge on Bowden by landing him in jail for attempted murder.
This would be a perfect crowning to his plan, while giving us
an ending that is truly original. Still, "Cape Fear" has quite
a few good things going for it. The style and substance work
well together, as do the separate angles of the story and the
wonderful cast, who play their parts to the extreme. The ending
may fall short of the material, but the uneasy feeling I got
in my chair must account for something, and that is the undeniable
sense of suspense and dread, inspired by a psychological war
that is effectively chilling. -- |
| Image
and Sound |
A
very nice remastering effort lies at the hands of Universal
Studios, with this lavish, two-disc set of "Cape Fear." Released
in 1991, the film has been given a fresh new look, with sharp
images and chilling sound quality. The picture exhibits a clean,
undated look, devoid of noise and artifacts and boasting accurate
fleshtones and colors that burst at your eyes. The sound quality
has been remastered on DTS theater surround, and both the DTS
and the Dolby Digital source have the same fidelity. Deep bass
is reserved for the music, and in the riverboat scene, while
the score of Elmer Bernstein wraps nicely into each channel.
The "Cape Fear" DVD stands as proof that remastering need not
go down the drain. -- |
| The
Extras |
Filled
with special features on a separate disc, there's nothing more
than you'd expect to find on a Universal Collector's Edition
DVD release, but for the most part, the features pay off. "The
Making of Cape Fear" is a nice portrait of a filmmaker's dream,
featuring interviews with director Martin Scorsese, writer Wesley
Strick, and actors Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange,
Juliette Lewis, and Gregory Peck. Each of them has something
to say about their character, from De Niro's commentary on getting
into shape for the film, to Peck's delight over making a cameo
appearance in this remake of his original work. Some deleted
scenes have been included, though all have been placed together
without so much as chapter dividers. These scenes are mostly
time-wasters, involving discussion among the family, and even
a scene of dialogue exchange between Cady and Bowden that is
better left out of the final cut. Two documentaries on the scenes
involving the Fourth of July parade and the houseboat sequence
are really not documentaries at all, but two-minutes of the
final cut with some behind-the-scenes footage added in as well,
without interviews or commentary. These are hardly interesting,
but a photograph montage that offers three sets of photos is
very interesting. One shows us Scorsese as he goes through the
filmmaking process, while another shows us the interaction of
the cast. The real show-stealer is the montage of De Niro's
evolution into a lean mean, psycho machine, from the beginning
stages of working out to the final product, full of muscle and
hard-faced sneers. There is a section devoted to the matte painting
used in place of the real sky at times, from the first sequence
in which Cady walks away from the jail, to stormy weather over
the Cape Fear. It's interesting to see how such things have
evolved into more sophisticated ways of deceiving the eye. "Opening
Credits" explores the various credits sequences helmed by Elaine
and Saul Bass, from their work on Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and
"Psycho," to Scorsese's film "Casino." This is especially fun
to watch, as each sequence has its own particular dazzle about
it. Theatrical trailer, production notes, cast and crew bios,
and some DVD-ROM features complete the set, which is not the
best DVD I've ever seen, but comes very close. -- |
| Commentary |
None |
| Final
Words: |
In the end, "Cape Fear" is worth
the price. The thrill ride is exciting, even if underachieved,
with stellar acting and terrific direction. The supplements
included with the title range from insulting to astounding,
and after all is seen, you'll have spent your evening well.
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