Cape Fear

At the time of its release, this Scorsese thriller left me unmoved. But today, I feel it’s the best “posthumous Hitchcock” there is. Bernard Herrmann’s music, the camera close-ups, the looks of Jessica Lange, whose character is, moreover, named Leigh... Marty is a devil, a chameleon who was able to build on the legacy of the Master, even spicing it up with a splendid psychopath played by Robert De Niro and a hint of enticing sexual perversion. This film seems to be an acquired taste. I almost gave it five stars, but in the end decided against it because it’s more of a momentary sensation than a long-resonating experience. (03/16/2010)

Already the opening shot of De Niro's tattoos on a chiseled body gives us a hint that we are going to see something interesting. Scorsese is back on his game and this remake easily surpasses its black and white predecessor. It's worth seeing, if only for the scene where De Niro as a supposedly bohemian teacher seduces Julliete Lewis – what she does is fabulous acting. I'd give it five stars, but the ending is unfortunately stupid, drawn out in the classic Hollywood way. (05/11/2003)

It might not be a terrifying cloak, but it is a cape of solid fear. (12/24/2007)

That Martin Scorsese knows how to create tension is a well-known fact. What's worse is that Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange here consistently choose weak moments, and everything depends on the shoulders of the focused demon De Niro. It is precisely in the shadow of his slow nervousness of the hated lawyer that the final catharsis on the ship seems clichéd and unnecessarily exaggerated. (03/10/2007)

A perfect homage to the genre with exemplary tension building, gripping atmosphere, and a formally stylized approach uncommon for Martin Scorsese, plus some camera tricks. Roboert De Niro is indescribably brilliant, and the ending is simply demonic. Perfection itself. (10/30/2004)

Scorsese's hyperactive, hysterical, episodic, and unrepentantly coked-up direction simply can't tighten up stories with fewer characters. Watching not particularly well sequenced scenes where four overacting actors scream wildly at each other can be tolerable, even enjoyable for subjective biopics covering the span of several years when basically all the characters are on drugs (Goodfellas, Casino). It's worse with the story of a middle-class family threatened by a relentless rapist, which takes place over the course of several days. Basically, it's a kind of frantic Schadenfreude filled with comical camera zooms, but despite my unbounded respect for the director, I have to admit that Cape Fear isn't much more than a cutely goofy snack. (04/16/2018)

Martin Scorsese simply shows that the genre is not foreign to him, just as Robert De Niro demonstrates his acting abilities, whereas in this case he plays a truly repulsive scumbag that you don't even want to look at, you'll be scared of him. It is quite interesting to see how Nick Nolte looked back then and how he looks today. He may not be as strong as Robert De Niro in terms of acting, but he definitely doesn't drag the film down. (11/27/2015)