The very logic of the film is quite common (Stephen King or Richard Bachman among many others have used it in his novel Thinner). A criminal is sentenced to a long term in prison but the sentence is all the longer because the criminal's lawyer decided that since his client was guilty he could forget some important element that would have changed the length of the prison term. The prisoner gets out of prison one day and comes back to haunt the lawyer and get his vengeance. That's when the film gets particularly nasty and the lawyer reveals himself quite ugly when fear grasps his guts, revealing the little trust he has in justice and the police. And sure enough the end will be positive for that ugly character of a lawyer who deserved to really suffer and die. But that's when Scorsese plays with our nerves and makes the lawyer's daughter fall in love with the criminal for all the bad reasons you can imagine but then she will turn nasty with him for all the good reasons you may find. In other words everything is upside down and nothing will ever bring them back upside up because what counts is what we have in our minds and memories and not what the world believes. A great small little film that does hold us in suspense and apprehension.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

This was a good movie but the scene with the daughter and the killer in the school was too long. This movies wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. Too dramatic for no reason, the scenes were taped at odd angles. I wouldn't recommend it.

I wanted to set this for a while but I'm now disappointed.

This is based on aq true story of a freed con who stalks a family on welfare before raping them at the end. At least in this version the family could upkeepo their welfare. He got harassment and a high degree of battery, kind of like Scott Yeazle today, only here it's fictionalized with actors. They called them slum lords, people who couldn't upkeep their stuff and acting high and mighty on social security and welfare. Several differant versions of Cape Fear exist, this is the 90s version. You can really sympathize with the con as he stalks these slum lords. They called them gites, white people acting like poor Asians.

Critical comparisons between this film and J. Lee Thompson's brilliant 1962 adaptation of the excellent John D. MacDonald novel "The Executioners" are bound to be misguided and ill-conceived. Thompson's film threw Gregory Peck's innocent family of beautiful people to the mercies of an intensely sleazy Robert Mitchum. By contrast, Martin Scorsese's reworking features a modern family who are familiar with sinful indulgence, and are terrorized by a far more vicious Robert De Niro. While the earlier of the two films presents clearly defined moral boundaries, the latter indulges in relativism and uncertainty. The repulsive Max Cady was disturbing when performed by Mitchum and terrifying when reinterpreted though De Niro, but the squeaky-clean family of the first go-round is certainly not the dysfunctional group of the remake.

The point is, if you want to see the original "Cape Fear," go watch it, because this isn't it, not by a long shot. Thompson's vision of McDonald's novel is a tense, humane, relatively understated presentation of an outrageously audacious crime drama, and it deserves its' recognition as a genuine classic.

On the other hand, Scorsese's handling of the source material is bloody and overblown, sometimes crossing the line from audacity into outright intentional kitsch. There's no doubt that he had a lot of fun making this, as he emphasizes the black humor of the script just as prominently as its' shocking brutality. For some (including myself), this is a film that demands attention through its' sheer viciousness; it's a truly lurid spectacle. For others, it's a melodramatic, unwatchable mess that wastes the impressive talents of its' cast and crew. I can't say with certainty that either perspective is necessarily more valid than the other!

But whatever you think of it, anyone who denies "Cape Fear" as a technical accomplishment is demonstrably ignorant. Scorsese deftly implements swift zooms, breakneck panning and claustrophobic close-ups to effectively heighten tension and emphasize expression. In the hands of another, far less capable director (Jonathan Demme comes to mind) these techniques come off as obnoxious and pretentious. But coupled with the vibrant, pristine cinematography of Freddie Francis and Thelma Schoonmaker's typically intricate editing, all the nuances of the impressive performances on display here are accentuated. Along with "The Color Of Money" and "Goodfellas," this is surely one of Scorsese's most visually impressive efforts. Elmer Bernstein's eerie reworking of Bernard Herrmann's devastating score for the original film is pervasively effective; the softer of the string-driven passages are especially chilling.

Nolte is perfect in the lead: his Sam Bowden is the embodiment of harried aggravation in all his buttoned-down Aryan glory. By contrast, De Niro's Max Cady is a far cry from Mitchum's shrewd, intimidating con man; this reinvention of the character is insanely obsessive, vicious and determined, alternating between a magnified Nietzschean self-awareness and Biblical self-righteousness. Cady went into prison as a savage, illiterate rapist and found both God and himself in the worst possible way over the course of fourteen excruciating years. He emerges on parole as a brawny, disciplined, well-read and extremely amorous self-proclaimed übermensch on the prowl for revenge and sex. His target is pretty ideal: not only did his former public defender (Nolte) sell him out by withholding evidence during his trial, he also obtained a juicy wife (Lange) and sired a cutie (Lewis) of a daughter while Cady was in the clink. It doesn't take much imagination to predict what this ex-con has planned.

Although the performances of the two male leads demand attention, the real star of the film is Jessica Lange, whose alternately sensuous and brutalized portrayal of Bowden's troubled, sexy spouse is nothing short of astounding. Lange owns every scene where she's prominently featured, conveying her character's desperation, disappointment and terror with disconcerting conviction. Lewis is also impressive as the vulnerable, sexually curious daughter; in the film's most perverse scene, De Niro attempts to seduce her with simultaneously titillating and repulsive results.

Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam are cast in a trio of small roles in homage to the original film, but those three veterans conduct themselves admirably in their short scenes. Peck is especially impressive as a typically eloquent southern prosecutor (replete in a white three-piece suit!). This brief cameo was Peck's last performance in a feature film, and it wasn't a bad way for him to finish his career.

As always, De Niro honed his body and persona with equal fervor for this role: lean and muscular, he delivers a convincing southern drawl. Nolte and most of the other Yankees of the cast capably follow suit and feel quite congruous amidst the genuine southerners: character actor, former senator and current Presidential nominee Fred Thompson and perennial good old boy Joe Don Baker in what's probably his last notable dramatic role.

The characters, themes and plot of this film are far more complex than those of the original. Bowden is hardly a man of moral integrity, and Cady, while reprehensible, certainly has a legitimate cause for his hatred. In many ways, the heightened moral relativism of the film makes it a more disorienting experience. In the original film, the audience knew who to root for. Here, the characters are intriguing and admirable in certain ways, but never enough to warrant sympathy. I certainly don't mind the film's violence, but Cady's makeshift trial on a squall-battered houseboat in the penultimate scene really is pretty silly. It's a shame that Scorsese and screenwriter Wesley Strick resorted to such a cheap, goofy contrivance, especially considering that their efforts produced what's otherwise an impressive retelling of a fine story.

It's strange to me that "Cape Fear" is regarded as one of Scorsese's lesser films; while it has its' flaws, it's certainly better than most of what he directed in the '90s and 2000s, and it's infused with a certain authenticity that used to be a trademark of Scorsese films. Frankly, I'd prefer for Marty to stop making movies with a tacky coat of gloss and return to gritty, outrageous filmmaking like this. It's hardly his best effort, but the production design is distinct, the performances are excellent and the movie at least elicits a strong response from me. I certainly can't say the same for "Kundun," "Bringing Out the Dead" and "Gangs of New York."

This is a great thriller! Great acting from the four leads, but especially from DiNero! A spectacular performance. In the climax scene on the river, the actors really work for their bucks. Also great directing, and some good writing, despite a few plot contrivances that initially get hidden by the actors who create so much believability. Each character is unique and compelling--no one is completely good, which makes them all the more believable. The girl who plays Nolte's teenage daughter was exceptionally good portraying teenage angst, sexuality, and parental rebellion. This version is by far 100% more compelling and absorbing than the original one with Robert Mitchem. It has to be seen several times to appreciate the tremendous talent displayed here.

Scorcese's remake of the 1962 classic is a very good film, with stand-out performances from Jessica Lange, Nick Nolte and especially Robert DeNiro. DeNiro was 49 or 50 years old when this movie was shot. You'd never believe it though, he was in fantastic shape, literally working out for hours per day to get the physique you see on the screen.

Where Scorcese has moved the goal posts compared with the original film is that the family are no longer just good and Cady bad. All the family members have problems: Jessica Lange suspects Nick Nolte is having an affair. Nick Nolte withheld information that might have sent saved Cady from Jail, which as a defense lawyer is not good form!

This being a Scorcese movie there were bound to be a few great set pieces, perhaps the best of which is the school hall seduction scene. There are some quite unpleasant scenes in this film (noteably the short rape scene) and although a lot of the violence is not shown, if your of a nervous disposition or easily scared I'd give it a miss.

The films main failing is that its just a bit to flash for its own good. If Scorcese had pulled in the reins a bit he might of made another classic. It IS a good movie, but not a great one.

Robert DeNiro does a great job as an ex-con stalking his unfaithful lawyer. Great cast. Great movie.

Yeah De Niro really gets it done here. I don't like Juliette Lewis though why in the heck does she have to act like a half retarded high school dropout in every single movie she is in? It makes no sense, but neither do most of the reviews you read on amazon. Just check out De Niro all with his prison tats and you will see what a bad mo fo he is!

Max Cady (Robert DeNiro), a violent criminal, stalks his former defense lawyer, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), who he blames for his fourteen year sentence for rape. He is not entirely wrong, since Bowden buried a report on the victim's promiscuity out of certainty that Cady was guilty. Nobody is entirely innocent in Martin Scorsese's remake of a film noir thriller from the 60s. This moral complexity and intense work from the talented cast, which includes Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis, make for an involving suspense film. A major drawback, though, is Scorsese himself, who indulges in some jarringly self-conscious effects and choppy pacing. These flaws become less apparent as the film builds momentum toward its powerful climax. Strangely, this film from one of our most talented directors features the most egregious example of product placement I have ever seen. Joe Don Baker's bottle of Pepto Bismol is so prominent that it should have received fourth billing in the credits.

This is one of my favorite with Robert De Niro. It just scary enough without being rediculous. It has plenty of action and the acting is great.
Much better than the original.

Having seen and enjoyed the original Cape Fear, which is quite a thriller, I thought I'd enjoy this. Wrong!

This is not a thriller. It's an exercise in nastiness, cruelty, viciousness, hysteria and wild overacting. Scorcese takes a hideous villain and tries to make him somehow admirable -- but he's not. He's scuzzy, and remains so. And the family that's being tormented is portrayed as a bunch of awful people as well.

After being disgusted by this movie and its sick characters, I read a comment by Scorsese that he didn't like any of the characters in the movie and wished he could have killed off all of them, but the studio wouldn't let him. It shows. He invented these people from scratch, and they're all revolting.

De Niro is frantic but throughly uninteresting as the villain. And while it's dragging us through the mud, the movie moralizes all the while that it's meant to "educate" us.

This is a bad movie, plain and simple. Mean and nasty, ugly, uninspired, perverted and in a twisted way arrogant, preachy and moralistic. Like filth lecturing you how to be clean. Sorry, Marty, this is scummy junk.

Stay away.

This is a white knuckle ride from beginning to end largely due to the creepy performance of Robert DeNiro as a tatooed bible quoting ex-con who is stalking the family of the attorney who had defended him before he spent 14 years in prison. As Jack Cady DeNiro gives one of his most bizarre performances, as he portrays a man who is both resourceful and obsessed with revenge.

The family played by Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis are a bit dysfunctional and Cady zeros in on their weaknesses and vulnerabilities like a bird of prey. All of the cast members are extraordinarily good in their respective roles.

The direction of Martin Scorcese creates a building tension from the opening shots through the final scene.

I deduct 1 star for the ending which goes a bit over the top and might have benefited from some additional editing but all in all this is a great horror tale of revenge by a psychopathic killer.

In this vicious remake of the 1962 classic starring Gregory Peck as Sam Bowden & Robert Mitchum as Max Cady, Martin Scorsese directed Robert De Niro as tatooted pyschopath Max Cady & Nick Nolte as Lawyer Sam Bowden whom him & his family are preyed upon by Cady, This as creepy as the movies get, terrifying shocker, De Niro is sadistically terrific, a human monster. If want a great suspense Thriller, see "Cape Fear" It's the best there is

Martin Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear reminds us the best time to argue about the awful direction your strained, upper-middle class marriage has taken is while hiding from a vengeful ex-con who's trying to rape your teenaged daughter. If this were Ladies' Home Journal, I would agree, yes, This Marriage Cannot Be Saved. Now, I care for their dog, and I care for their maid (but not that hussy Ileana Douglas); however, they merely suffer so that Nick Nolte can appear sweatier and smoke more, and Jessica Lange might hurl accusations of infidilety at him with her pinched little hatchet face. And let's not forget the coltish Juliette Lewis stumbling around just asking for it--from Cady or Daddy or poor old dirty Henry Miller. There is much delineation of the moral ambiguities we all face, including about 10 seconds on the Book of Job, and a whole lotta tattooed, Biblically-referenced flesh to sort out--despite the preaching, I found I deeply desired to see that teddy bear which Joe Don Baker rigs up with some fishing line get decapitated. And do I have the pleasure of watching that occur? --hell no!-- Scorsese won't go there, because that would be gratuitous violence which doesn't advance the plot one bit. And as this is a serious, scary movie about the eternal battle of evil vs. evil-er-est, I suppose I wouldn't want my delicate moral compass to be upset by all that fluff and stuffing. **SPOILER ALERT!**: Evil wins! DeNiro Flambe! And seeing Jessica Lange aghast & covered in mud inspired my roommate Matt to start a production of a third, Butoh Dance remake of Cape Fear: it cuts through all the relativism/moral shades-of-gray by getting rid of all the words and meaning and just keeping the literal, bodily-writhing shades-of-gray. Watch for it! It's very artistic!

This movie really is amazing and the star really is De Niro. He does such an excellent job as the villain in this film, you actually cheer for him more than you do for Nick Nolte and his family. I have never seen the original film, but I can say that this remake is stand alone and will become a classic. The music also does a great job at setting the mood. The script is solid and like I said, the performance really is. The movie never is boring, you never know what will happen next. One of the best thrillers of the 90's and it's easy to see how this movie became so famous. It truly is amazing and I highly recommend this film.

Cape Fear is one of the best films of the 1990's.

Directed by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas), and starring his usual collaborator Robert Deniro (Goodfellas, Raging Bull), along with Nick Nolte (48 Hours), Jessica Lange (Tootsie), Joe Don Baker (Fletch), and Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers), the film is a remake of the 1962 original with the same title (the original Max Cady and Sam Bowden actors Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck make cameo appearances).

Deniro plays Cady, a menacing ex-convict who upon his release from prison after serving 14 years begins stalking and taunting his former lawyer Bowden, played by Nolte, and his family, wife Leigh, played by Lange, and daughter Danielle, played by Lewis. The reason Max wants to bring terror upon Sam is because 14 years earler, Sam failed to present documents on Max that could have aquitted him from rape charges (Sam realized the grisliness of the crime and decided not to disclose the information).

The film is brilliantly directed (Scorsese integrates his unique style perfectly). However, what makes Fear an extraordinary motion picture is its screenplay, and the star-studded cast (both Deniro and Lewis earned Oscar nominations- Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively - for their performances).

Recommended

A-

I actually caught this movie on Showtime Classics and am surprised I've never heard of it. The film had a little suspense going for it and De Niro had a southern accent that was plausible. Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange also starred in this seedy thriller about a psychotic rapist, Max Cady (Robert De Niro) who was sentenced to 15 years on molestation charges after being decieved by his appointed attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte). The mode for the movie changes from medial drama to an action/thriller/suspense galore after the Max Cady character is out of jail and is brewing up a plot to venge the lawyer he trusted.

Max Cady attempts to destroy every person close to Sam Bowden by maliciously hurting them. When Sam is mentally pushed to a corner, he signals to have a restraining order against his former client. The plot them thickens has Max Cady decides to use the tactics that ended up putting him in jail by attracting the fifteen-year-old daughter of Sam Bowden, Danielle, played amazingly by Jullitte Lewis. After preaching his knowledge of being trapped as an adolecent, Max begins to sexually harass Danielle. Sam quickly notices this and decides to end Max Cady's dangerous run by taking the law into his own hands.

After sending a gang to physically attack Max, Sam is stricken by the bad outcome and then follows his instincts; getting a gun. Max know decides that enough is enough and is ready to attack Sam's family in their own home; not knowing that Sam isn't on vacation and is actually ready to kill Max upon his arrival. After the failed attempt and escaping with the lives of both the maid and a retired detective, Max fleas from the picture. Sam also decides to flea and tells his family to relocate to a far away port in Florida, not knowing that Max is hiding under the car.

The last couple of scenes set the standards for thrilling suspense and will just have to be watched to actually appreciate. The amazing thing was that Martin Scorsese, a master of biopic and dramatization, decided to flex his directing skills on an unlikely and rusty genre. It worked, and the outcome, a 90's classic. Though this film is a better remake of the 60's title of the same name, it suddenly became a pop-cult and parodies were seen in both 1996 Hallowe'en edtion of SNL and the memorble 'The Simpsons' episode featuring Sideshow Bob.

This is one of the finest thrillers and cross genre movies of all time. Though there are many films resembling the plot of Cape Fear, this is still considered one of the demanding and finest roles for Juliette Lewis, Jessica Lange and Robert De Niro.

I have watched this movie many times, and I like it very much.
Robert De Niro plays a villain (Max Cady), who gets released from prison after 14 years. Then Cady tries to get revenge on the lawyer, who didn't defend him zealously enough.
I like Max Cady, his wisdom, his strong emotions, his car.
Robert De Niro plays a likeable villain, who is very self-confident and doesn't hesitate to chase the lawyer, his secret lover, his wife and daughter.
My female friends don't like this movie because in it Cady does terrible things against women.
Logic says that I should simpatise with the lawyer's character.
But De Niro plays the ex-con character so convincingly, that he is irresistible. The movie is filled with wise sayings, like:
"I am as large as God, he is as small as I. He cannot above me, nor I beneath him, be"; "A few minutes with me and you'll be speaking in tongues"... and so on.
This is a powerfull movie and it gave me hope in difficult times, regardless of the fact that the main character (Max Cady) is a bad guy.

Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of the 1962 thriller stars Robert De Niro as Max Cady (in an oscar nominated performance), a recently released from prison ex-con, who seeks revenge, therefore decides to stalk and terrorize his lawyer's family (his wife, played by Jessica Lange, and 15 year old daughter, played by Juliette Lewis, who was also nominated for an oscar) after figuring out that his lawyer, Sam Bowden (played by Nick Nolte), hid a document from his once illiterate client that could have gotten his sentence revoked. Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum from the original appear in this film as well, and it was nice to see them.

For his role in "Cape Fear", De Niro researched sexual predator crimes for the part and suggested the scene where his character bites the victim. De Niro paid a dentist $5,000 to make his teeth look suitably bad for the role of Max Cady. After filming, he paid $20,000 to have them fixed. De Niro did a lot of working out several months before the movie and during the shoot to make him the muscular Max Cady, reportedly taking his body fat down to only 3%.

In the end: The performances are amazing, Martin Scorsese's direction is excellent as usual, and Freddie Francis' cinematography is stunning. This film will keep you on the edge of your seat as you see Max Cady begin to terrorize Sam Bowden and his whole family, taking it from one extreme to the next.

Recommended!

This DVD is basically the first disc from the two disc special edition DVD of this film. Pointless re-release. Buy the two disc special edition, and skip this one! The film is presented in it's original 2.35:1 widescreen presentation, with the option of THX Approved 5.1 Dolby Digital, or 5.1 DTS soundtracks.

This is a great movie! De Niro is wonderful as always and you will find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat with suspense waiting to see what happens next. A star filled class makes what was already a great movie ever better. You will not be dissappointed, get it today.

Some people prefer the earlier version of Cape Fear starring Robert Mitchum as the serial stalker. I myself prefer the updated version. Not to take away from the original version which is far superior when comparing the critics reviews and the general public reaction to the movie at that time. No one in public had seen a movie (dating back to the mid-forties) reflecting the intensity of erotisism and passion Cape Fear did,unusual for that time period. I admire Martin Scorcesee and DeNiros longstanding tie which was a definite PLUS when re-creating the updated version of the 40's classic. I loved the casting. Superb casting. Nolte was great as usual, what a presense he is. Jessica Lang was wonderful, providing the natural warmth and realism the character needed to withstand the complex plot. I loved Julliette Lewis as the prepubescent and very charming only child Dahni, who challenged her loving but somewhat disfynctional mother and father to accept her. And finally Mr. DeNiro himslef. What can you say about DeNireo that has not been said already? Genious, YES. Person? YES. Actor? YES.....Bob rises to every occasion to put his heart and soul into every character he plays which is apparent in his every performance. He did not contradict in Cape Fear. True to his usual perfectionisim DeNiro studied the character type, became that character and made movie History once again.

I truly loved this movie. Hope you agree!

Cape Fear is a heck of a joyride. Scorcese's remake is brutal, fast paced, and quite creepy. Deniro is mennacing, repulsive, and mesmerising in his role. Great cameos from the two original actors, (Gregory Peck & Robert Mitchum). The music is explosive and the performances are just as good. Good to see the wonderful Jessica Lange exhibit her acting talents, far much greater then the lame King Kong remake in 1977. The true diamond in the rough is Juliette Lewis's performance. Outstanding as the easily deceived and young daughter of Sam Bowden,(Nolte). This film at times may be predictable, but you honestly are glued to this film, and hoping Nick Noltle prevails and rid of this creep. Max Cady, (DeNiro), ranks up there with Freddy, Michael, Jason, but Max is human, and he can be stopped. If I was a lawer, I wouldn't have messed with this guy by any means. Have a good time......I did!

Martin Scorsese directs this masterpiece with the best music by far that I have ever heard. De Niro stars as Max Caddy, a man accused of rape who spends 14 years in prison. When out, he decides that he wants to take out revenge on his lawyer (Nick Nolte) and his family (Jessica Lainge and Juliette Lewis) because he thinks that it is his lawyer's fault that he spent so long in prison. Caddy is a beast with so many tatoos that one detective says : "I don't know whether to read him or to look at him." His tatoos are very neat and it makes him look even more brutal. During the course of this movie, I hated him at times and then asked myself if maybe he didn't do this rape. You start to wonder, that maybe he was turned into a beast alone in prison where he tells his lawyer that he was sodomized. De Niro deserved an oscar nomination for his amazing performance even though he would have lost to Anthony Hopkins. Nolte must face Caddy but must also face his marriage as it is falling apart. You don't really even like Nolte's character either as he has cheated on his wife and tries to bribe Caddy with money. The story was suspensful, but also tragic to me as I wondered if Caddy was wrongfully accused. The movie has one very thrilling scene towards the end which I won't give away and after the movie, I was very pleased with this fantastic film. The movie shows a tale of revenge, in which the bad guy is really evil at one scene but then you pitty him at the next.

Deniro is one of the best actors in movie history, and he is alot more frightening than the original max cady (the orginal movie is alot older but still an excellent film. But of course since this was done in 92, or somewhere around there, they could play around a lot more with the violence parts in which the most disturbing and graphic is when he viciously attacks the young woman that knew nick nolte. It's very graphic when he breaks her arm and literally bites a chunk of flesh from her face and splits it into the air with blood on his mouth, is a bit much to stomach, and must admit it went a little too far, but it was a brilliant way to show what a true monster max cady really is and his lack of any respect for women. But you pretty much knew before that scene that he was a rapist and later on he is a killer when they discover he killed an inmate and bit his tongue off. These type of violent rapists do exist in the real world, the kind that are so vicious that more than one behavior is expressed in each crime they committ. The sadistic kind love to torture their victim by biting and mutilating and breaking bones, and then raping, so that they can inflict as much pain as possible, which is of course max cady. But it is a movie, and Deniro is great. As always.

Cape Fear is one of the best movies in the world! I absolutly love it! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys revenge movies, because this is the best revenge movie ever! I just loved this movie, thats all i can put into words, because this movie is just so magnificent that there are no words to describe how wonderful it is! I havn't seen the original yet, but i can't wait to see it!

I just received my "10th Anniversary Edition" of Cape Fear.
Don't be fooled. This is the EXACT same version that was previously released on DVD. I compared it to the original release that I already own.

Nowhere does this edition mention "10th anniversary", and the extras specified are the same as well. Somebody messed up. If you already own it, skip this supposedly new release (Feb., '05). There's nothing new or different about it.

However, if you've never seen it, or if you are a fan of this film, I would recommend buying Cape Fear. It's an edge of your seat thriller with fine acting by all, and deserves a place in your film library.

It's easy to underestimate Scorsese's "Cape Fear," with Robert DeNiro taking his shtick over the top and its other cartoonish elements, but I gather I'm not alone in enjoying and admiring it more and more each time I see it. The main question seems to be how seriously one should take a movie like this, a question made more difficult by one scene of excessive violence that seems out of place even if it's essential to the tension that the film builds with such perfect steadiness.

The best way to view "Cape Fear" is as an exquisite comic nightmare, and one of its most delicious cosmic jokes is the way it reincarnates actors from the original, morally simple 1962 version into a morally gray alternative universe and puts them up to no good. Gregory Peck, the saintly father in the original, reappears as a southern dandy lawyer working for the villain, Max Cady, who is deferentially addressed as "Mister Maximilian Cady" by bored judge Martin Balsam, who was an honest cop in his previous incarnation but rules in favor of the villain here. Robert Mitchum, formerly Max Cady, comes back as a sleazy and unhelpful cop who recommends vigilante measures to swat the new Cady, played by DeNiro and his patented furrowed mask.

Bad karma bounces around everyone and flows along some particularly fascinating contours within the Bowden family as it's besieged by Cady, the merchant of vengeance. Nick Nolte is brilliant as Sam Bowden, the ethically challenged, unfaithful lawyer whose betrayal of former client Cady is the seed of the entire nightmare. The fact that he was justified -- as a person, not as a defense lawyer -- in helping to get Mad Max a scholarship to the state pen only makes the karmic energy more beautiful. Jessica Lange smolders gorgeously as wife Leigh Bowden, forming a metaphysical alliance with Cady as they both punish Sam for his infidelities, and is simultaneously repulsed and seduced when Cady appears and disrupts her sublimated discontent. Juliette Lewis is spellbinding as the pubescent daughter Danny, whose disillusionment with her parents has her flirting with big bad wolf Cady, making for some of the most squirm-inducing scenes since Woody Allen dated fifteen-year-old Mariel Hemingway in "Manhattan." (After seeing her in "Cape Fear," Wolfy Allen immediately cast Lewis as his child-nymph girlfriend in "Husbands and Wives.")

DeNiro plays more of an unstoppable force of nature than a character, though some of his affectations and fashion statements as a poor southern "cracker" are enjoyably vivid and almost every scene with Nolte is taut as piano wire. He also makes the most of some genuinely rich dialogue, and though some of it sounds like a Travis Bickle fantasy ("You threatenin' me?"), at one point he considers leaving the Bowdens alone and pursuing an alternate career path: "Well, I could go to California and teach earthquake preparedness." Cady's choice of transportation in the third act can also only be considered a joke, though I remember the audience audibly groaning instead of laughing upon seeing this in the theater.

Some of "Cape Fear"'s best comic touches are furnished by Joe Don Baker as Kersek, the private detective hired by Sam, first to ineptly track Cady, then to scare him off. For some reason, Max isn't easily intimidated by empty threats emanating from fat alcoholic cop-wannabes, so Kersek is finally employed to terminate Cady with extreme prejudice and the aid of Kersek's homemade alarm system made from fishing line and stuffed animals. (One can't help thinking that "Jaws" might have been funnier if Kersek had been contracted to hunt the shark.) Cut to a pool of Kersek's blood on the kitchen floor, which sets off a notorious scene that may be the finest example of Scorsese's extraordinary knack for gallows humor -- the artful combination of terror and farce (a close contender being the famous re-burial scene from "Goodfellas"). As the blood-splattered Bowdens run out of the house, the film is interrupted by a public service announcement from the National Rifle Association: Nolte fires his gun randomly into the night while Lange screams the NRA's slogan, "He might be out here!"

Scorsese's editor Thelma Schoonmaker probably deserves much of the credit for "Cape Fear"'s comic timing, its smooth crescendo of tension, and its sumptuous melding of image and music. Composer Elmer Bernstein adapted Bernard Herrmann's original "Cape Fear" musical score, and the music makes the opening titles alone (by Saul Bass) worthy of hushed attention. There's a much commented-on sequence in which Leigh Bowden (Lange) gets out of bed and goes to her boudoir mirror to apply lipstick as if in erotic anticipation just before Max Cady appears outside on a perimeter wall, aglow under fourth-of-July fireworks and in mock-seductive repose. The tinted negatives X-raying her emotions, camera motion through the interior nightscape, string tremolos, and distant fireworks sounds are all combined masterfully to create a very subtle mood, one that may be easy to miss in a film that also employs many unsubtle touches.

"Cape Fear" doesn't contain a single weak scene or extraneous note until the final showdown aboard a houseboat on the storm-surged Cape Fear River itself. Max Cady, now Rasputin by way of Barry Scheck, refuses to die and at last conducts his cross-examination of the defendant Sam Bowden, showing a surprising knowledge of and deference to the rules of evidence and courtroom procedure. The sequence has some terror-humor, and the epilogue has poignancy, but it gets too silly even for the ablution of beautifully-filmed splashes to be entirely effective. But endings are hard, and lots of things in life lose their charms in the end, while still being well worth the ride.

Scorsese seems interested these days only in making more serious pictures, and "Cape Fear," released in 1991, is the most recent frivolous or semi-frivolous movie he's made, followed by an "Age of Innocence," "Kundun" and "Gangs of New York" period marked by worthiness and varying degrees of pretension. Movies like "The King of Comedy," "The Color of Money" and "Cape Fear," which are more purely for fun, seem to be behind him, and that may be a shame.

Robert , oh Robert..how you can act! This is the one that stays with you for ever. I still "quote" lines from this movie, and this was years ago. Jessica Lang, she makes you want to " hate her, yet, you feel sorry for her being married to a jerk " Nick". The Daughter? They couldn't of found a better " vergin".

This is a great movie. Its better than the first. The first one while entertaining its not Martin Scorceses version. First of all watching DeNiro play a evil man is fun and entertaining. He is downright creepy and scary in this movie. It is a total thriller if you have never seen it. I like this so much better than the original because of DeNiro's Max Cady is so much more trashy/ hateful and vile! DeNiro's accent in this movie is great and its fun to try and which you may find yourself doing after you watch it.

This is probably my favorite De Niro performance. In this, my man is IN SHAPE. And he's a master at f_____g with Nick Nolte and his family; a textbook performance on how to psychologically mess with another person's head. Max Cady knows how to work the ladies also - as the poor chick who gets a mouthful of her face chewed off will agree. Everyone here is at the top of their game. Scorsese talks about his love for Panavision-shot films and it is totally evident here, filmed in gorgeous anamorphic, just awesome camerawork.

I really liked Cape Fear. DeNiro is amazing as always, the man cannot go wrong in my book. Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliet Lewis all do great jobs.

Just watched this movie for the first time in over 12 years!
I remember it being good, but had obviously forgotten that it was a masterpiece!
The movie is set in the present day, but its filmed in a 1930's-thriller style - complete with an (intentionally) over-the-top classical soundtrack, and sets that aren't intended to look lifelike - i.e. a similar style to `American Psycho'.

Next comes the acting. Wow! How I love good acting like this. Knockout performances from everyone.
Probably DeNiro's best ever performance. Nick Nolte is simply brilliant. And Juliette Lewis... oh my... she plays the part, of a 15 year old schoolgirl, who's unable to resist her sexual attraction for an ex-convict (DeNiro) who's the same age as her father - who subsequently seduces her in her classroom! The sexual tension in this seen is incredible, and Lewis plays the part to perfect, mesmerizing you along the way.

When all of the sections of a movie - acting, actors, story, screenplay, music, direction, cinematography, production - are perfect, and are masterfully combined, it creates something with this magnitude - `Cape Fear `91'

I saw this film before I saw the original. I mainly watched it because I noticed on the credits that Bernard Herrmann had music that was adapted for the film. I didn't know that there was an original Cape Fear, because I hadn't heard of either film, and I still hadn't done a lot of study about Herrmann yet, but I was introduced to the late Elmer Bernstein through this film, and had never heard any of his music yet either (probably in Ghostbusters, because I'm sure I saw that film then). I could not get off my seat watching this movie, and I just wanted to keep on watching it. I did recognize Herrmann's sound, but since it was adapted, it sounded slightly different, mainly in the brass. I love both versions of this film, and find great performances in both. I usually like originals better, but I do believe that I like this film more than the original. It keeps you glued to your seat, and has a more intense ending. But the original is also very well done, and very strong for it's own time.

The 1991 remake of "Cape Fear" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Not only because it's graphically violent, but also it's horribly acted by most of its cast. I've never been a big Robert DeNiro fan, because he seems to play the same type of character in almost every movie he's in: the brutal, foul-mouthed tough guy who beats people up every chance he gets. In "Cape Fear", he plays that exact character, only this time it's in a slasher film rather than a drama. Juliette Lewis also overacts as the teenage daughter and Nick Nolte fares no better. Jessica Lange is alright but forgetable. Ultimately, for those who have not seen this movie, stay away and rent a more psychological horror/thriller like "Misery" or the 1963 version of "The Haunting".