Cape Fear (Widescreen): Amazon.ca: Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Lori Martin, Martin Balsam, Jack Kruschen, Telly Savalas, Barrie Chase, Paul Comi, John McKee, Page Slattery, Ward Ramsey, Sam Leavitt, J. Lee Thompson, George Tomasini, Sy Bartlett, James R. Webb, John D. MacDonald: DVD

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Amazon.com Essential Video

Superior to Martin Scorsese's punishing 1991 remake, this 1962 thriller directed by J. Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone) stars Robert Mitchum as a creepy ex-con angry at the attorney (Gregory Peck) whom he believes is responsible for his incarceration. After Mitchum makes clear his plans to harm Peck's family, a fascinating game of crisscrossing ethics and morality takes place. Where the more recent version seemed trapped in its explicitness, Thompson's film accomplishes a lot with a more economical and telling use of violence. The result is a richer character study with some Hitchcockian overtones regarding the nature of guilt. --Tom Keogh

Chronique amazon.fr

Jack Lee Thompson signe avec Les Nerfs à vif un de ses meilleurs films. Pourtant, même reconnu comme un classique, le film a un peu mal vieilli. Peut-être les goûts des spectateurs ont-ils changé ? Quoi qu'il en soit, Les Nerfs à vif reste aujourd'hui intéressant surtout pour les performances d'acteur de Robert Mitchum et Gregory Peck. Martin Scorsese en fit un remake en 1991 avec Robert De Niro et Nick Nolte. --Erich Vogel

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Customer Reviews

31 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (31 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fearful, Feb 23 2007

By

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME) (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cape Fear (Widescreen) (DVD)

Sometimes, the most terrifying monsters are the ones that look just like humans.

And one such monster is at the heart of "Cape Fear," one of the most harrowing movies from Hollywood's golden age. Rather than a straightforward thriller, this movie explores how sometimes both crime and justice can go outside the law -- and how far some people will go for revenge.

Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) sent Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) to prison for rape, eight years ago. Now Cady has been released, and is determined to settle the old score -- and Bowden's wife and teenage daughter are next. Bowden tries to get the police to help, but until Cady breaks a law, they can't do anything.

And so Cady begins his vendetta against Bowden -- he stalks Bowden's daughter and poisons the dog. He rapes a young woman, then frightens her into not telling. As Bowden's life becomes a living nightmare, he knows that he will have to go outside the law to deal with Cady -- and he'll have to set a trap.

Hitchcock would have been jealous. Not many movies -- even of his movies -- create the sense of pure evil that "Cape Fear" does. Stalking laws didn't exist back then, and so until a crime was committed and charges were pressed, the police literally could not do a thing.

And that conflict is the heart of "Cape Fear." As a lawyer, Bowden believes firmly in the justice of law at the beginning, but that is shattered when Cady uses the law for himself. J. Lee Thompson illustrates how law and justice aren't the same thing -- Cady is evil but works within the law, while Bowden must go vigilante to keep his innocent family safe.

And J. Lee Thompson does a great job creating this nightmare. Ominous music, shadowy sets, and taut, terrifying sequences that seem a little too real, such as when Cady relentlessly pursues little Nancy around the school. And the dialogue is as tight as the plot ("We're gonna nurse you back to health. And you're strong, Cady. You're gonna live a long life... in a cage!").

Peck and Mitchum are absolutely amazing in this movie. Few actors could pull off the cold, calculating evil of Mitchum's Cady. Rape, murder, pedophilia -- you name it, he'll do it. Peck is equally outstanding as the devoted father and husband, but he is at his best when Bowden is slowly being stretched to the breaking point.

"Cape Fear" is the sort of horror story that can happen in real life, and Peck and Mitchum's performances elevate it into a classic. Absolutely terrifying, amazingly made.

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5.0 out of 5 stars "Max Cady isn't a man who makes idle threats!", April 4 2004

By

Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cape Fear (VHS Tape)

Prior to his Oscar-winning role as lawyer Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird", Gregory Peck portrayed another attorney in 1962's "Cape Fear", a psychological thriller also starring Robert Mitchum in one of his most despicable roles.

No two actors were better suited than these two. Their characters are a definite study in contrast. Peck's Sam Bowden is a civilized intellectual forced to resort to some underhanded means to protect his family and himself from the treacherous taunts of Mitchum's crude, rude antagonist. Tension builds as the two men make a final confrontation at the location of the film's title.

Polly Bergen and Lorie Martin as Peck's respective wife and daughter are quite good a show a strength of character rare for women in the early 60's. They are not just "screaming Mimi's".

Martin Balsam, Jack Krushen and a pre-Kojak Telly Savalas round out a superlative cast; Barrie Chase is also quite memorable as a woman that runs afoul of the Mitchum's sadistic Max Cady.

Southern locations and crisp cinematography provide a picturesque yet menacing background and look.

To top off the film off is another remarkable score from Bernard Herrmann. Music by the late composer elevates this already superior thriller to a higher level.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece of Suspense, Jan 28 2004

By

Matthew Rocca (Matthew, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cape Fear (Widescreen) (DVD)

J. Lee Thompson directs this sophisticated cat and mouse thriller starring Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck. Mitchum gives a marvelous performance as Max Cady, the calm yet menacing Max Cady, an ex-con who has been paroled from prison after serving eight years for rape (the word "rape" is never said throughout the entire movie, because back in the times, it wasn't allowed by the censors, but it is implied.) Cady wants revenge on the lawyer who sent him to prison, Sam Bowden, portrayed brilliantly with strong assurance, yet fearfulness by Gregory Peck. He is a man who loves his wife and daughter with all his heart, and soon, Cady begins implying threats involving them. Bowden tries taking matters into his own hands, but it goes awry, and the result is a suspenseful battle between good and evil on Cape Fear River. This film is an absolute classic, with plenty of suspense, witty one-liners, a classic score, and exquisite directing, writing, and performances. It's a movie that the whole family could basically watch, because it's not all that inappropriate for today's times, and not too scary, just a good movie! I don't see why, however, this movie and the remake must be compared so much! The remake is a remake, it is a totally separate thing. The remake, directed by Scorsese, was much more brutal in its depiction, but still a great film. I don't see why people can't just look at it as it's own movie. Anyway, this is a terrific movie that I highly recommend.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars "Riveting from the First Frame to the Last ... J. Lee Thompson (Director)"
Universal Pictures presents "CAPE FEAR" (12 April 1962) (105 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Small-town lawyer Sam Bowden's (Gregory Peck) life becomes... Read more

Published 17 months ago by J. Lovins

4.0 out of 5 stars good old fashioned suspense (3.5/5)
this was a pretty good psychological suspense/revenge drama.it's
basically the story of of a lawyer and the criminal he helped put away
in prison. Read more

Published on Feb 2 2008 by falcon