Product Details

• Actors: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Joe Don Baker
• Directors: Martin Scorsese
• Writers: Wesley Strick
• Producers: Barbara De Fina, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: August 23, 2005
• Run Time: 128 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (156 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000A2UBN4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,760 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Cape Fear" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

Product Description

Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese brings heart-pounding suspense to one of the most acclaimed thrillers of all time. Fourteen years after being imprisoned, vicious psychopath Max Cady (Robert De Niro) emerges with a single-minded mission: to seek revenge on his attorney Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte). Cady becomes a terrifying presence as he menacingly circles Bowden's increasingly unstable family. Realizing he is legally powerless to protect his beautiful wife Leigh (Jessica Lange) and his troubled teenage daughter Danielle (Juliette Lewis), Sam resorts to unorthodox measures which lead to an unforgettable showdown on Cape Fear. Visually stunning images and brilliant performances from a talented cast highlight this roller-coaster ride through relentless psychological torment.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Every man has to go through hell to reach paradise..." March 3, 2004

By Michael Crane

Format:DVD

Very few thrillers stand out like Martin Scorsese's "Cape Fear." It's a terrifying ride that frightens us to the very core. It shakes you violently and paints an intense picture of revenge that is taken to a whole different level. This is a dark and brutal film that doesn't let you off easy for a single second.

Attorney Sam Bowden appears to have the perfect life upon simple examination. He has a loving wife and daughter, a very nice home, and a pretty successful and providing career. Things take a drastic turn when Max Cady is released from prison after serving a term of fourteen years. Cady was once represented by Bowden and is now looking for a little payback, as he feels that his former attorney didn't do everything he possibly could to keep him out of prison. Now, Sam must realize the present danger that is before him, as not only is his life in absolute danger--but also his family and everybody else he loves and cares for. The stakes have never been higher.

This is an absolutely disturbing film that pulls no punches. It's a very uneasy movie to watch, and yet it is so well done that it is hard NOT to watch. Robert De Niro is extremely terrifying as the vengeful "Max Cady" who is out and about, looking to settle the score. This is definitely a signature role for De Niro, as this would be one of his many roles that he will be remembered for most. Nick Nolte also gives a remarkable performance that adds a human quality to his character. The movie is well written and is perfectly executed frame by frame. It plays like a Hitchcock film on ecstasy. Martin Scorsese flawlessly directs this horrifying picture and knows what strings to pull to get a reaction from us. Be warned, this is not a movie for those who have weak stomachs or faint hearts....

The DVD does a splendid job when it comes to doing the movie the justice that it deserves. The picture quality is great--it is such a relief that I don't have to deal with the terrible laserdisc version that had the most horrendous picture quality. The sound quality is also great, and you even get the chance to watch it in DTS, if your system carries it. There are some cool extras for DVD fanatics, with extras like featurettes, deleted scenes, production notes, a theatrical trailer and more. Surely, there will be some who will want more for a film of this caliber, but the overall presentation is more than satisfactory.

"Cape Fear" is a relentless thriller that is terrifying and suspenseful. The movie has an excellent cast, a great script, and an extremely talented director behind it all. Again, the movie is very intense and isn't recommended for those who have weak hearts and don't like scenes with graphic and disturbing violence. This is definitely a classic that will always be around in the fine world of cinema. -Michael Crane Read more ›

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Where's Sideshow Bob? March 18, 2002

By JR Pinto

Format:DVD

I just watched this movie for the first time in a number of years and I'd forgotten how truly great it is. I'd been waiting for the DVD to come out. Cape Fear is a movie that needs to be seen in letterbox. In the documentary, Scorsese says it was the first time he filmed anamorphic because he'd hoped that widescreen televisions would soon be coming out.

What makes the DVD great is the long "making-of" documentary on disc 2. In it, Scorsese, all the actors, and the great screenwriter Wesley Strick go into great detail of every facet of the film and how the project evolved over the years (including the notorious "thumb-sucking" scene). I've read the book "The Executioners" upon which the movie is based, and I'm familiar with the original Peck/Mitchum version and I have to say that this film is the best of the three. Don't get me wrong - the original Cape Fear is a great movie and this version couldn't exist without it. However, this film is exponentially more complex and disturbing. The original story was a straightforward Good Guy/Bad Guy conflict. Nowhere was there a villain like the tattooed, Bible-quoting, Henry Miller-reading Max Cady as portrayed by DeNiro. Another especially inspired touch was to retain Bernard Herman's original score.

Whereas a zillion "psychological thrillers" have come and gone since Cape Fear came out, they have been forgotten and this remains a classic.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars DeNiro and Scorcesee Cape Fear September 5, 2005

A Kid's Review

Format:DVD

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!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Do yourself a HUGE favor and check out the original... July 16, 2002

By Jon Ell

Format:DVD

First of all, Martin Scorcese is one of my favorite directors and I include movies like TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL and GOODFELLAS among my most cherished films of all time. That being said, I cannot for the life of me figure why he chose to remake this 1962 classic which to me is tantamount to someone trying to remake one of his fine films mentioned above in another 10 or so years. It's almost unthinkable.

If you've never seen the original film, directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, and you are someone who appreciates GREAT filmmaking, do yourself a favor and see the original. If you are a collector, BUY the original on DVD and add it to your collection. I PROMISE you will not be disappointed.

This 1991 version stars Robert DeNiro as Max Cady and I think he does a great job reprising and, in some none-too-subtle ways, updating on the character. Frankly I never expected less from an actor of DeNiro's abilities. But Robert Mitchum's Max Cady is truly one of the scariest and most disturbing portrayals of a villian in cinematic history. What makes Max Cady so terrifying is his believability; he is not simply an "evil rapist," this guy is a living, breathing nightmare in every sense. I think DeNiro captured a little of that quality too, but then took it too far over the top. Perhaps the only reason Mitchum never got an Oscar nod was that his performance was perhaps *too disturbing* for the times to even be considered back then, when Best Actor almost always meant the protagonist of the story.

As the Amazon.com editor states, comparing these two versions only proves to show how much more terror and suspense the original is able to achieve despite not being nearly as graphic or gratuitous with the on-screen violence.... Especially compare the ending of the two films, where the original sizzles while the remake fizzles into a series of laughably forgettable cliches. The difference is one is a Classic from start to finish, while the other is an homage with earnest intentions and a good start that ultimately deteriorates into not much more than a gratuitously violent slasher film.

The only performance in the 1991 version I thought was intriguing and stood out from the original was Juliete Lewis as the daughter. Not necessarily better, but a more dynamic performance for that character. But if you really want to see a classic thriller that is a cut above the average from beginning to end, check out the original and you be the judge. Read more ›