CAPE FEAR
US, 1961, 105 Minutes, Black and White.
Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Polly Bergen, Lori Martin, Martin Balsam.
Directed by J. Lee Thompson.
Cape Fear is a rather grim thriller directed by J. Lee Thompson. Thompson has a successful career in England with small-scale domestic British films and some thrillers, the most notable of which was 'Tiger Bay'. He went to America in the early 60s and had immediate success with The Guns of Navarone. He stayed in America making a lot of comedies and thrillers but not attaining the heights which critics expected of him. This kind of career continued through the 70s while he was still in America. He contributed several of the Planet of the Apes films and several of Charles Bronson's thrillers in the late 70s. This film has a rather ugly plot: Robert Mitchum, convicted by Gregory Peck, on release from prison wants to track down Peck and his wife and daughter and wreak vengeance on them. The film is very strong, with its black and white photography and atmosphere, on the creation of an atmosphere of menace and terror. It has proved quite alarming to a feminine audience with its threat against mother and
daughter. In its way it is an interesting example of the psychosexual thriller which was to be so much more popular as trends changed in the late 60s.
1. How successful a horror film was this? A horror adventure? A manipulation of audience response and fears? The overtone of the name?
2. How frightening was the film? What techniques did the director use to give the audience a fright? His use of light and darkness? His use of the swamps? His use of music and its controlling of atmosphere? Was this appropriate or overdone?
3. With whom did the audience identify? With Sam Bowden? Women identifying with his wife and daughter with the fears and the menace? How does this demonstrate that men and women respond differently to this film?
4. Was the film too sadistic? Was the atmosphere of menace too strong? The sense of helplessness of the characters and audience?
5. were the characters well developed or merely caricatures or representative of types? Did this add to or detract from the atmosphere of the film?
6. What stand did the film take on justice? Justice as supporting Sam Bowden? AS condemning Max Cady? And the technical obstructions of the law when the menace was involved? How did justice change the just man into a killer?
7. How representative of good was the Bowden family? Was Gregory Peck too noble a character? His wife and daughter me-rely conventional? And did the director establish them as real people in this situation? How did he show good forced to do bad?
8. Comment on the helplessness of people in this situation, their being trapped? Being trapped within the law as Dutton? Of Bowden being trapped into using the detective Sievers? What kind of man was Sievers? Did you approve of his methods? Why was he unsuccessful? The helplessness being forced to employ thugs? Should he? The irony of their being beaten by Cady? The helplessness of Bowden that there was nothing to do but to confront Cady?
9. Was Cady presented as a caricature of evil? Was his perversity comprehensible? The strong motivation of revenge? His menace of wife and daughter? How was this illustrated by his relationship with the girl he beat up? Was there real insight into evil in this character? Which incidents showed this best? Audience sympathy for Cady by the ending?
10. How successful was the finale with the death of Cady? The audience wanting Bowden to kill him? What effect did this have on the audience when the film was over? Did Bowden have any other choice? Was he an executor of justice? Or merely a revenger? Or a protector of family life?
11. Which particular effects were the best in the film?
12. How real were the situations in the film? Were they too nasty for a film? what were the main issues about justice and humanity? Did this give the film value?
