CAPE FEAR (1991) - Oh, what it could've been...

The best thing about the movie is how great it is.

I really don't think Ford could have pulled it off. DeNiro made the role quite terrifying and I'm not one to get scared at thrillers or horror movies.

This was the first Scrosese movie I had seen and at the time I didn't have much of a clue as to all the great films he had done previously. He was just a name I was somewhat aware of being associated with movies. With CAPE FEAR I Loved the atmosphere, loved how bonkers DeNiro was, and Baker's demise freaked me the fuck out.

I guess it would have been interesting to see Ford as Cady, but I doubt he would have allowed the tats.

Three words: What. Lies. Beneath.

Love this film and the original, but I'm actually more curious about what Nolte would have done with Max Cady, since like Ford, he went to Scorsese to pursue the obviously meatier role. Probably wouldn't have been as audacious and manic and reflected more of the cool menace of Mitchum's performance in the original.

In the original Cape Fear, Mitchum has the meatier role (and wanted to share that meaty roll with Gregory Peck's 12 year old). In the remake, Nolte actually has the more rich role, since the relationship between him and Jessica Lange, and the fact that he actually framed DeNiro, makes him a more complex character than that of Gregory Peck who is just a helpless victim*.


But I think the only thing wrong with the remake is the framing device via Julliette Lewis' narration, which feels out of place. With so much in the movie that's fucking great (and, having just listened to Podcast number 9ish where Justin brings up Cape Fear, I have to completely disagree with Nick's assessment that Julliette Lewis is the worst part of this movie, she's fucking great) I can turn the other cheek to that. Or just bite it off.

*Though, it must be said that I think it's Sam's innocence and complete helplessness that makes the original so fascinating. The very system he holds close can do nothing to protect him, and I find that endlessly more fascinating (and haunting) than the Bowden's marital disputes.

I love both of these movies, but I wish the remake didn't venture into the fucking ridiculousness around the third act. Nevertheless Scorsese creates a nice sense of danger and it has some great pacing.

I can only imagine the amount of finger pointing Ford would have brought to the role.

I can't for the life of me picture Harrison Ford as Max Cady. Thankfully, neither could Scorsese.

Okay maybe everybody knows this but I only just recently found out. I saw a Marty interview on Letterman somewhere from a long time ago and he talked about how Nolte wanted to slowly become more and more ape-like throughout the film, you know, because he's like an animal at the end. Etc. So Nolte was so into this that he actually had some fake teeth put in and his posture was missing link status, and I guess Marty eventually noticed and told him to tone it down. I noticed this when I re-watched it recently... if you look at Nolte at the end, while it's raining, he's hunched over and his arms are outstretched leaning against the top of his knees, he looks like... you know... a monkey (or my uncle Ted when he's embarrassed about biting the couch cushions and sits in the corner). Very cool.

The ridiculousness is vital. He's playing it over-the-top from the get go. Remember the scene with the fireworks, great big fake looking fireworks (I believe in the making-of doc he talks about how he digitally made some of them a color of green that fireworks cannot replicate), the cheek biting, the increased play with the daughter, I think it's all pretty detached from the reality you and I know and enjoy. The "ridiculousness" fits perfect with the rest of the movie.

It's a great movie. Why, just look at your shoes. You know what that is? Hanging your head in shame... doesn't feel good. Don't bother looking up, you earned it.

I actually watched this last night, I hadn't seen it in awhile, that main theme by Elmer Bernstein is just great, it's a classic piece of filmscore.

I'd forgotten how brutal this movie was, I haven't seen the original but DeNiro biting that piece of skin off Douglas as she screams is just absolutely painful to watch, which is the point.

Seeing Ford in this role would've been interesting.

This movie presented the tour de force that is Nolte's stammering.

This movie is so great. It was actually one of the staples of my middle school life. I'd watch it whenever they'd show it on USA. Joe Don Baker is so awesome in the flick. As is Nolte and De Niro. Nolte's stammering is classic.

I thought the score sounded quite like Bernard Herrmann, I had no idea Scorsese just re-used the original score and had Elmer Bernstein to conduct it. Awesome.

I really don't like this one. It feels too calculated, too crude to be Scorsese, and honestly, I think De Niro is terrible in it, just a raving cartoon of a performance.

After well over a decade of knowing of the film via the Simpsons episode, Cape Feare, I finally got to this film.  It's a lot of fun.  Gabe's criticism of the film being too calculated and crude for Scorcese is one of the things I loved about it.  I love how almost every cut and transition between scenes felt so BRUTAL!  The optical effects!  The ZOOOOOMS, my god!  I got a big kick out of it. 

 

My only criticism is of Juliette Lewis.  I hate Juliette Lewis and her face.  I've always had a problem with her, and wanted Cady to kill her in the worst way.  But other than that bit of irrational hatred, she did a good job with the part.  Hahahaha.  I felt as Patrick did about her voiceover at the end.  Comes out of nowhere, and at this moment, it feels a lot like the meaningless drivel that began and ended each episode of Heroes.  Just some words.  Even Scorcese seems to think so, since he has her actually say, "The end!"  Hahaha

 

Joe Don Baker was by far the best character.  Southern fear... hahahaha

Did I really call Juliette Lewis "fucking great". Oh past self, had I only a chrono-hand for time-slaps!

 

Try to catch the original as well, Nooj. I go over it in more detail in McCartney's Cape Fear Vs. Cape Fear thread, but there's a lot about that movie that's darker and creepier than Scorsese's ludicrous vision. Which is to say, Mitchum plays Cady.

I feel this was Scorsese's best thriller, not that he's done many. It's very over the top(much more than say, Shutter Island), and you can tell he's having a lot of fun, and I love it. I love how ludicrous it gets, the shot of DeNiro with the fireworks, Nolte and Lange screaming and slipping in Baker's blood, etc. I adore the ending and how INSANE/silly(DeNiro's death!) it gets. Lewis is great in parts where she's playing dumb, I recall her being okay, maybe because she was playing a dumb naive kid.

 

I've seen the original, but it's been far too long. Need to rewatch.

I fully intend to catch the original film as well, Patrick.

 

Maybe it's because of my Lewis-face-hate... but that Drama Teacher scene goes on for an uncomfortable amount of time.  For as much time Scorcese spent on Cady getting into Dani's head, it doesn't seem like much came out of it in the end.  I feel like there would be quite of bit of material cut from that subplot.