CAPE FEAR
(R)
MOVIE: ***** (out of 5)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5)
BY KEVIN CARR
Along with “Goodfellas,” “Cape Fear” represents my introduction to Martin Scorsese. It was only years later that I got around to watching his earlier films like “Raging Bull” and “The King of Comedy.” And while Scorsese has had his fair share of lame movies (like “Bringing Out the Dead”), these early 90s gems represent some of his best work.
A remake, “Cape Fear” tells the story of a defense lawyer (Nick Nolte) who is confronted by one of his former clients (Robert DeNiro), who was sent away to prison for rape after the lawyer buried key evidence. This is one of Robert DeNiro’s finest roles, playing a chilling and dangerous villain. The film also introduces us to a Juliette Lewis before she dove into her own white trash image and emerged looking like a meth-head.
“Cape Fear” shows brilliant work with suspense, sound, matte paintings and violence. It’s a tense movie that doesn’t always go where you think it will. Forget Brian DePalma’s claim to being the next Hitchcock. This is Scorsese’s most Hitchcockian piece, and it’s still thrilling 20 years after it was made.
The Blu-ray comes with BD-Live and PocketBlu access. There’s all the vintage features from the previously-released DVD, including “The Making of Cape Fear,” deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes look at the 4th of July parade, “On the Set of the Houseboat” and a photo montage.