Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7159 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-12-05
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 122 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of J. Lee Thompson's 1962 thriller dabbles a bit in some fascinating psychological crosscurrents between its characters, but it finally trades in all that rich material for extensive and gratuitous violence. Robert De Niro plays a serial rapist released from prison after 14 years. Angry because his appalled attorney (Nick Nolte) made it easy for him to be convicted, this monster is out to hurt Nolte's character through his wife (Jessica Lange) and daughter (Juliette Lewis). The themes of interlocking guilt and anger between these people suggests a smart film in the making. But the final act, set on a boat with De Niro's vengeful pervert attacking Nolte and the two women, takes a more unfortunate direction. Stick with the original (which starred Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, each of whom make a cameo appearance in this film). --Tom Keogh

Synopsis
Martin Scorsese's remake of J. Lee Thompson's 1962 film is a stylish, taut thriller. Public defender Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) served as the attorney for brutal rapist Max Cady (Robert De Niro) at his arraignment. Shocked by the violence of Cady's crime, Sam duplicitously withheld information regarding the sexually promiscuous activities of Cady's rape victim information that might have won Max's acquittal. After serving a hellish 14-year sentence in a barbaric state penitentiary, the once-illiterate Cady, who has taught himself to read and studied up on the law during his incarceration, seeks vengeance against the prosperous small-town lawyer. Max makes good on his satanic threats to terrorize Sam, stalking the vulnerable family, poisoning their dog, brutally assaulting Sam's close friend, and sexually harassing Sam's daughter, Danielle (Juliette Lewis). To rid themselves of this raging force of retribution, Sam; his wife, Leigh (Jessica Lange); and Danielle join together against Max in a final struggle for their very existence. Scorsese pays debts to Thompson's earlier version by using Bernard Herrmann's original score, as well as casting Robert Mitchum, Gregory Peck, and Martin Balsam in supporting roles. Lewis delivers a stirring performance that earned her a well-deserved Oscar nomination, as did De Niro, whose tattooed vengeance seeker is one of cinema's most terrifying, notorious presences.

Customer Reviews

Spine-tingling
Scorsese cut and pasted the score from J. Lee Thompson's 1962 original as well as offering small roles to Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck (who played the original Max Cady and Sam Bowden respectively), but this brash re-imagination is largely its own beast. And beast is the word: a snarling and visceral creature. It is also an exercise in sustained psychological horror, as Robert De Niro's fearsomely muscular, tattooed rapist is set free with a score to settle with his own defence lawyer (Nick Nolte).

Some have cited Scorsese's dizzying camera movements and Thelma Schoonmaker's zippy editing as crassly manipulative. But that's the point, for "manipulative" is the adjective that describes Cady best. He's a self-destructive psychotic for sure, but he intends to teach family man/adulterer Bowden a lesson about living by a principle before he goes down for good.

Scorsese's ability to wring breathless performances from his cast has rarely served him with such stark success: here we have career-best work from Nolte as well as Juliette Lewis as Bowden's teenage daughter. To coin a cringe-worthy phrase, she's a blossoming flower - the scene in which Cady lures the brace-wearing Danielle onto an eerie school theatre stage, decked out with a Hansel & Gretel set (no one claims the symbolism is subtle!), is a childhood rite of passage as seen in a nightmare; it's also very skilfully paced and played.

For all the fizz and suspense and manoeuvring, the climax, which takes place in the stormy waters off the titular cape, is somewhat disappointing. Where Lee Thompson's movie ended with a nail-biting game of cat-and-mouse in the shadowy reeds, Wesley Strick's screenplay resorts to genre convention, stripping Cady down to a babbling monster. But what an exhilarating ride it is getting there, full of memorable set-pieces interspersed with striking dreamy images.

Fantastic!
The fact that Martin Scorsese (at the time of writing, but fingers crossed for 'The Departed') has not won an oscar is about as obsurd as bob dylan never having a number 1 record, both are geniues's at their perticular medium. Scorsese's long list of films that will go down as all time classics is off the chart, Goodfellas, Casino, Raging Bull, Mean Street and Taxi Driver to name but a few. And all these films he has teamed with the great Robert De Niro. And after watching Cape Fear, it is impossible for me to list my all time favorite films without meantioning it. This film is 1 of the best films of all time!

De Niro is terrifing as Max Cady, an ex-convict who has just serves 14 years in jail after beating and raping a 16 year old girl. Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) buried some important informaion which could of got the then illitrate Cady quite a shortened sentance. Once realised Cady seeks revenge, Has learnt how to read and write and about law and starts to terrorise the Bowdens...

The films is one of De niro's best, he delivers a stunning performance as phychopath Cady. Nick Nolte and Juliette Lewis also star.

In short, there are enough superlatives for me to use about this film. A roller coaster of a ride from start to finish. This should be in everyone's DVD collection, and if it were selling at £100 per copy, you still would get one hell of a bargin buying it!

Cape Fear. A title has never been so appropriate.
This movie is an excellent improvment on the first film. The film was good but not great. The original is the sort that's only really thrilling for its time, and its a good thing that Martin Scorsese decided to update it for modern film goers. This has got to be the most thrilling film I've ever seen. I was literally shaking by the end of this movie. I found the rape scene to be very scary, but this scene doesn't show you everything, which is much more terrifying. Max Cady in my opinion is the most menacing movie villain, second only to Hannibal Lecter, his appearance on screen (Especially after the rape scene) is enough to make you tense with anticipation. This is an example of using real life to create terror and horror. A lot of the time, talking about real life situations or things that could happen to you is a lot more terrifying than ghosts or monsters (Even though ghosts are supposed to exist too). This film isn't overly violent, a lot of the time it just implies violence and the most violent bits of the film are at the end. Over all this is an exciting, scary and thrilling tale which everyone should watch (A great movie to show your child if you're trying to teach him how not to talk to strangers). Thanks for reading.

P.S The previous bracketed remark was a joke and is not to be taken seriousely. This movie is not for little children.

Bye!