Cape Fear | | Cast : | Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum | | Director : | J. Lee Thompson | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Black & White | | Released Date : | January 01, 1962 | | DVD Released Date : | September 02, 2003 | | Language : | Spanish (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 31, 2005 | | Summary | What a great movie | Content
 | This is one of the most suspenseful movies I have ever seen. Robert Mitchum is as good as a villain can get. He plays Max Cady, a man who was in jail for 8 years for sexual assault. As soon as he came back, he made it his purpose to get revenge on the man he felt was responsible for his jailtime, Gregory Peck, who was a witness to the crime.
This is a movie about human nature. It is a movie about fear. The premise is a very good one: What do you do when you know you are being plotted against? Peck could not have Mitchum arrested just for plotting against him and so he had to think up a plan.
The last scene in the movie is a classic one. It is an incredibly suspenseful nail-biting scene and the ending to the movie is a really great one. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 16, 2005 | | Summary | What an awesome film! | Content
| After eight years, four months, and thirteen days in prison, Max Cady(Robert Mitchum) decides to go after the man who was responsible for his conviction. The man he targets is a man named Sam Bowden(Gregory Peck), an attorney who was a witness to Cady's crime.
Gregory Peck does well, but his performance is overshadowed by the performance of Robert Mitchum. Mitchum injects his character with such an intensity that one look at him and you KNOW he's dangerous, no question. One of his best scenes is when he's at the bar and the police want to interrogate him. As one cop tries to restrain him with a small club, he states, "You start reachin' for those you better call for the riot squad, man." He doesn't bellow this out, but he says it with such an assertive, dangerous tone that you know right away that the cops should just back off. Also, the way that Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum act together on screen, man that's the stuff that movie legends are made of.
Mitchum and Peck aren't alone, however, as Martin Balsam and Telly Savalas are on hand to provide fine support as a police chief and a private detective, respectively.
The sets have such a realistic look to them, and they succeed in pulling the viewer into the story. The crisp black-and-white cinematography gives the picture a suspenseful edge, but if this movie was made in color, it just would not have that same edge that made it so good.
I know it's over forty years old, but "Cape Fear" is really an awesome film! It is far superior to all the "suspense" nonsense that is released today. Its performances and photography combine to provide a flawless, terrific viewing experience.
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| Rating | | | Date | May 19, 2005 | | Summary | Frightening story of revenge | Content
| This intense 1962 thriller stars Gregory Peck as Sam Bowden, a lawyer who is being stalked by ex-con Max Cady (Robert Mitchum). It seems Sam withheld evidence at Cady's trial, and by doing so, helped send him to prison for years. Now, Cady's out and wants to get even by hurting Sam's wife (Polly Bergen) and daughter. They hide in a houseboat moored in Cape Fear, knowing Cady will do anything to get revenge.
Gregory Peck is outstanding as the dedicated attorney and desperate family man. Mitchum is so creepy and slimy in this film you'll be breathless watching his performance, which surely is one of his best. Every ounce of him seethes with hatred and evil. Polly Bergen and Lori Martin, as the daughter, are convincingly terrified as the ex-con gets closer and closer.
This version of the film is better than the remake, thanks to the fine acting of the stars and a script that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you like chilling movies, you'll love Cape Fear.
Kona |
| Rating | | | Date | May 06, 2005 | | Summary | Peck draws a line in the sand | Content
| Intense drama as Peck and Mitchum square off in a battle of intimidation. Peck tests the legal limits of familial protection. But what if the the law is not enough? |
| Rating | | | Date | May 03, 2005 | | Summary | Turn On Your Nightlight | Content
| Read all my reviews at www.midnitcafe.blogspot.com
Gregory Peck is so linked in my mind to the simplicity and grace of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, that it is always surprising to see him in anything else. To find him in the gritty, dirty piece of film noir that is the original Cape Fear is something of a shock. Yet, as always he does a marvelous job, and some of that grace manages to shine through the grime.
The story is a pretty basic noir plot. Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) is an ex convict who just got out of prison. He has come back to town to haunt Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) who testified against Cady for attacking a woman. Cady has spent his time in prison well, and has studied up on the law. He manages to terrify Bowden and his family and still remain within the confines of the law.
Though Peck gets top billing, this is truly Robert Mitchum's film. He plays Cady with a swagger and menacing smile that is simply magnificent. We can see inside his swarthy confident charm and see the evil, menacing psychopath. The brilliance of the role is that we almost never see the violence that hides just behind the mask. Yet it seethes and oozes out, ready to strike at any time.
J. Lee Thompson keeps the tension pumping throughout the 105 minute film. There is hardly a moment to relax before something else occurs to tense us right back up. Yet the tension doesn't come from boogie men jumping out from behind closets. It is a slow, boiling tension that tightens as we imagine just what might happen. When the climax finally does occur it is almost a let down. The censor at the time would not allow the type of action packed blood bath it does now, but the film doesn't suffer for it. What we get is plenty good, but is in the nature of the genre that the climax leads to the come down. But, the ride getting to that point, is well worth the time
More reviews at www.midnitcafe.blogspot.com |
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