Review of Cape Fear (1991) by Ethan P — 07 Aug 2016

Cape Fear paints a portrait of a picturesque, upperclass family and then takes great joy in having a ruthless villain unearth the ugly truths lurking beneath the surface and tear apart their perfect little world. It is an incredibly intense film, filled with aggression and fear. Max beats and bleeds and slashes his way through Sam's life and we discover that Sam is almost no better than Max. It's thrilling story of retribution is underlined by a chilling score and fueled with its colorful characters. Max is the most vibrant character in the film and it's a very odd role for Robert De Niro. He is crude and relentlessly vicious, but smart and cautious. He's also very animated with his obnoxious Texas accent and random acts of violence. It's a really unsettling performance.

One of the most interesting parts of the film was to watch how this happy, super American family unravels to become desperate and morally bankrupt. The protagonists appear to be good, but then the sins of their past are revealed and they take actions to stop Max that almost convince you that they've switched roles and become the villains. The film is paced very quickly, the story moves fast and we spend a good part of the film trapped in Sam's house, waiting for the something to happen, which adds a lot of tension. The narrative is sharp and deliberate, where Max takes out one part of Sam's life at a time (the mistress, the dog, the Maid), but leaves his daughter alone. It is definitely odd, but it has enough style and thrills to be a satisfying film.