'Cape Fear' review by MartialHorror.

Source: http://freewebs.com/mhcape

CAPE FEAR(1962)
(Directed by J. Lee Thompson)

"Gregory Peck Vs Robert Mitchum! AWESOME!"- Signed by MartialHorror.

Plot: When a brutal rapist is released from jail, he decides to get revenge on the man who put him away by having his way with the man’s wife and daughter. But the man is no pushover himself, so begins the battle of wits between the two.

Review:

I have seen Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear”, the 1991 remake of this film, and remember thinking it was pretty cool. It had strong suspense and an even stronger cast whose acting was great. I did feel that in Scorsese’s attempts to make the characters more complex, it ended up making the protagonists more annoying. But the fact is, despite the fact that it was freaking Scorsese who did the remake, it has nothing on the 1962 original film.

Max Cady(Robert Mitchum) was convicted of a brutal rape 8 years ago due to the reliable testimony of Sam Bowden(Gregory Peck). Now he’s out, and he quickly makes it known that he hasn’t forgotten what Bowden did to him. The problem is that 8 years has turned Cady into an immensely strong and even more intelligent man who now knows how to manipulate the law. He starts harassing Bowden, albeit legally, resorting Bowden to turn to the Police. When they can’t help, he hires a Private Detective(Telly Savalas), and eventually is forced to turn to illegal ways of stopping Cady. But he has to hurry because not only is Cady outsmarting him, Cady is also eyeing to make Bowden’s wife and daughter his next victims.

“Cape Fear” feels like it was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from the score(Bernard Herrmann, known for doing the music from "Psycho" did the score here), to the gothic angles, the shadowy cinematography and the slow building suspense. While there are plenty of nicely effective fright scenes(the school attack, for example), I felt J. Lee Thompson shined the most during the finale. The finale is so tightly shot, so thick with suspense and so atmospheric that I almost couldn’t wait for it to end because it was becoming so unbearable. While this is probably due to the censors, I also liked how they never use the word ‘rape’. It’s all implied and somehow the ambiguity makes it more menacing. I cannot stress enough how suspenseful “Cape Fear” is. Much like Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train”, I wanted this to end simply because the suspense was getting to me too much. I also loved how they ended it. It’s chilling but satisfying.

But as almost any fan will tell you, the real reason this movie is so great is Robert Mitchum(Max Cady). I have to admit, out of all the villains I’ve seen out there, I don’t think I’ve ever seen evil portrayed in a more frightening manner. Yes, I will say it. This guy terrified me. He’s unusually strong and intelligent, but his calm demeanor is just frustrating. You just want to punch the guy out, but are afraid to because he’ll possibly snap your neck.....or sue you! But Mitchum plays this with a sense of false charm, making him even more horrific. The most shocking scene for me was when he was describing what he did to his ex-wife for leaving him. The story is horrific enough, but it’s the way he tells it that makes it disturbingly memorable. It was a good idea to cast Gregory Peck(Sam Bowden) as our hero, because Peck is the embodiment of manliness. I remember being disappointed in the remake for casting Nick Nolte, but then making him such a wimp. With a villain like Max Cady, you need a hero who you can believe will stick up to him, and Peck delivers like a pro. The film had an admirable cast overall and watching everyone interact was interesting. The only weak link was Nancy(Lori Martin), the daughter. She has plenty of good moments, but her bad moments were noticeable. To be fair, she’s a child actor playing against A-class pros so you can’t totally blame her.

I’ve said it many times before but in my opinion, there is an easy formula to making edgy, riveting movies. Get a badass hero and put them against a badass villain. Peck and Mitchum perfectly embodied this and it helped that “Cape Fear” was just a stunningly well made movie in general. I guess modern day audiences might be a bit miffed at an old, black-and-white movie, but it’s their loss. If you like suspense driven thrillers, especially Hitchcockian type thrillers, then the original “Cape Fear” is a must see.

Violence: Er, there are a few brutal moments. I’m not sure what I’d rate it though, as most of it is left to the imagination.

Nudity: None, but once again, the themes being dealt with are rape. I was a bit irked by the directors attempts the sexualize the proceedings though(example, when the wife is being beaten, her moans sound sexual). I hate it when movies try to be clever like that.

Overall: “Cape Fear(1962)” is a not notch, suspense driven thriller with two awesome actors playing two awesome characters. Indeed, Mitchum’s Max Cady is worth watching this for alone. A must see for people who like or are okay with old school thrillers.

4/4 Stars


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