Review of Cape Fear (1991) by Will H — 20 Aug 2010
In 1991, Martin Scorsese was coming off of one of his greatest films, that being the crime masterpiece GoodFellas. So what did he do next? Instead of sitting on his epic crime tale, he turned around and made another film in a completely different genre, the noir-thriller Cape Fear (although this was a remake of the 1962 film, I have not seen the original, so I'll be reviewing it impartially).
While Cape Fear may not stand with Scorsese's best work, it is a hell of a thriller to watch, with some real evil lurking at its heart. The characters of Cape Fear are not good people, not even the protagonists, as every character has at least one flaw.
Sam Bowden (played by Nick Nolte) is the main character, and he is not exactly a good man. He cheats on his wife (Jessica Lange), neglects his troubled teen daughter (Juliette Lewis), and is self-righteous, leading to his predicament with the psychopathic Max Cady (played by Scorsese regular Robert De Niro).
De Niro plays a stage-five creep as Max Cady, who is not simply a bad man, but a truly evil one, as he torments Bowden and his troubled family. This film may not be one of Scorsese's finest, but it is a gripping tale and wonderful example of modern film noir.
This review of Cape Fear (1991) was written by Will H on 20 Aug 2010.
Cape Fear has generally received very positive reviews.
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