Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Every man has to go through hell to reach paradise...", March 3, 2004
Very few thrillers stand out like Martin Scorsese's "Cape Fear." It's a terrifying ride that frightens us to the very core. It shakes you violently and paints an intense picture of revenge that is taken to a whole different level. This is a dark and brutal film that doesn't let you off easy for a single second.Attorney Sam Bowden appears to have the perfect life upon simple examination. He has a loving wife and daughter, a very nice home, and a pretty successful and providing career. Things take a drastic turn when Max Cady is released from prison after serving a term of fourteen years. Cady was once represented by Bowden and is now looking for a little payback, as he feels that his former attorney didn't do everything he possibly could to keep him out of prison. Now, Sam must realize the present danger that is before him, as not only is his life in absolute danger--but also his family and everybody else he loves and cares for. The stakes have never been higher. This is an absolutely disturbing film that pulls no punches. It's a very uneasy movie to watch, and yet it is so well done that it is hard NOT to watch. Robert De Niro is extremely terrifying as the vengeful "Max Cady" who is out and about, looking to settle the score. This is definitely a signature role for De Niro, as this would be one of his many roles that he will be remembered for most. Nick Nolte also gives a remarkable performance that adds a human quality to his character. The movie is well written and is perfectly executed frame by frame. It plays like a Hitchcock film on ecstasy. Martin Scorsese flawlessly directs this horrifying picture and knows what strings to pull to get a reaction from us. Be warned, this is not a movie for those who have weak stomachs or faint hearts. The DVD does a splendid job when it comes to doing the movie the justice that it deserves. The picture quality is great--it is such a relief that I don't have to deal with the terrible laserdisc version that had the most horrendous picture quality. The sound quality is also great, and you even get the chance to watch it in DTS, if your system carries it. There are some cool extras for DVD fanatics, with extras like featurettes, deleted scenes, production notes, a theatrical trailer and more. Surely, there will be some who will want more for a film of this caliber, but the overall presentation is more than satisfactory. "Cape Fear" is a relentless thriller that is terrifying and suspenseful. The movie has an excellent cast, a great script, and an extremely talented director behind it all. Again, the movie is very intense and isn't recommended for those who have weak hearts and don't like scenes with graphic and disturbing violence. This is definitely a classic that will always be around in the fine world of cinema. -Michael Crane
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Where's Sideshow Bob?, March 18, 2002
I just watched this movie for the first time in a number of years and I'd forgotten how truly great it is. I'd been waiting for the DVD to come out. Cape Fear is a movie that needs to be seen in letterbox. In the documentary, Scorsese says it was the first time he filmed anamorphic because he'd hoped that widescreen televisions would soon be coming out.What makes the DVD great is the long "making-of" documentary on disc 2. In it, Scorsese, all the actors, and the great screenwriter Wesley Strick go into great detail of every facet of the film and how the project evolved over the years (including the notorious "thumb-sucking" scene). I've read the book "The Executioners" upon which the movie is based, and I'm familiar with the original Peck/Mitchum version and I have to say that this film is the best of the three. Don't get me wrong - the original Cape Fear is a great movie and this version couldn't exist without it. However, this film is exponentially more complex and disturbing. The original story was a straightforward Good Guy/Bad Guy conflict. Nowhere was there a villain like the tattooed, Bible-quoting, Henry Miller-reading Max Cady as portrayed by DeNiro. Another especially inspired touch was to retain Bernard Herman's original score. Whereas a zillion "psychological thrillers" have come and gone since Cape Fear came out, they have been forgotten and this remains a classic.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thrilling, Suspenseful, A Masterpiece!, December 31, 2002
Martin Scorsese is a brilliant director! He took the original masterpiece of revenge and suspense and updated it. In this more intense and graphically violent 90s version, cigar smoking, Southern ex-con, Max Cady, sets out to slowly destroy his former attorney, Sam Bowden. Fourteen years ago, Sam was Cady's lawyer, defending him on the crime of rape. Sam saw what Max had done to this girl, and so, when a report came in that the girl was promiscuous, Sam buried it. The report would have lightened Max's sentence, but instead he was sent to prison for an elongated stretch. Now Max is back for vengeance. His body is a human weapon, with huge muscles and extensive tattooing. The tattoos illustrate his interest in the Bible, especially the gigantic Crucifix on his back. Max Cady sees that the Bowden family is dysfunctional, so, before completly destroying Sam, he wants to have some fun with the family. In a particularly inspirational scene, he seduces Sam's daughter, Danielle. The showdown on Cape Fear River is much more scary and thrilling than the one in the original. Robert De Niro does a superb job as Max Cady, Juliette Lewis does wonderfully as Danielle, and Joe Don Baker is great as Kersek. Robert Mitchum is a good cameo, and so is Gregory Peck. Nick Nolte is pretty good too. He's pretty believable. Jessica Lange seemed to overdo it just a little, but she still did pretty good. This is a totally different thing than the original, and both are equal in greatness. I recommend this movie for thriller/horror fans, but I also strongly precaution younger children not to watch this. And, for those with a really weak stomach, don't watch this right after or before you have eaten. Great movie! The extra features on the DVD are great. The Photograph Montage features clips of Robert De Niro's Max Cady, the Cast of Cape Fear, and photos of Martin Scorsese directing Cape Fear. The Making of Cape Fear is insightful for those who wish to be in the movie business, and it features interviews with De Niro, Lewis, Lange, Scorsese, Peck, and Nolte. An especially interesting element of the making tells how Robert De Niro got pumped up for the part. The theatrical trailer is probably the best movie trailer I've scene. It starts out with picturesque beauty and lovely music, then quickly transforms into the thrills. The DVD is wonderful, and the movie is inspirational.
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