Cape Fear [Region B]

This is a review of the 2016 Region B2 Blu-ray from Fabulous Films Limited and Freemantle Media. This B&W psychological thriller from 1962 is presented in 1080p HD and DTS HD 2.0 mono. The picture is nicely clear, clean and bright, the sound excellent.In 1991, Martin Scorsese remade this film, with Robert de Niro, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange in the starring roles. Hollywood does this so often, but usually they remake highly regarded British, European or Latin American movies: ‘The Ladykillers’(1955); ‘Let the Right One In’(2008); ‘The Secret in their Eyes’(2009). Here at least, they remade a Hollywood film. But as ever, the question has to be ~ ‘WHY?’.The original film was a hugely effective, scary and brilliantly-made work directed by British director John Lee Thompson. Thompson had a CV that included several excellent War and action yarns: ‘Ice Cold in Alex’(1958); ‘The Guns of Navarone’(1961); ‘Taras Bulba’(1962); and also ‘Mackenna's Gold’(1969). He also made a first-rate British crime film with a young Hayley Mills and dad John, ‘Tiger Bay’(1959). And he worked with the same actors on a number of occasions, including Mills, and both Gregory Peck and Telly Savalas, who both appear in this film.Thompson filmed ‘Cape Fear’ largely in and around Savannah, Georgia. (Scorsese too used Savannah, but also Florida and Shepperton!) His Cinematographer, Sam Leavitt was a prolific and highly gifted man behind a camera, with works as various as ‘Anatomy of a Murder’(1959); ’Exodus’(1960) ~ OSCAR-Nominated for both ~ and ‘Major Dundee’(1965). Here, Thompson and Leavitt provide a lush, gorgeously-textured setting, full of Spanish Moss, leafy glades and handsome interiors, and some superbly atmospheric night-time scenes, water lapping, wood creaking, tension building. The use of light and shadow is worthy of the best of Noir, and, beyond doubt, the whole look is made MORE effective by the rich B&W photography.Gregory Peck, in the role taken over by Nolte, is impressive as lawyer Sam Bowden. He is measured, urbane, reasonable. Robert Mitchum as ex-Con Max Cady, is his exact opposite ~ volatile, sinister, driven. Mitchum does this sort of role VERY well ~ he plays a not dissimilar role in Charles Laughton’s brilliantly terrifying ‘The Night of the Hunter’(1955) ~ and here, in the role later taken by de Niro, he is chillingly, smilingly, evil. The sense of coiled, watchful, vengeful devilry is overpowering. They are well supported by Martin Balsam as the local Police Chief and Savalas as PI Charlie Sievers. Peck, Mitchum and Balsam had small roles in the remake. The effective support role of Peggy Bowden was taken by Polly Bergen, who much later in her career was highly praised for a guest role in ‘Desperate Housewives’. Lori Martin is good as the Bowden’s daughter Nancy, a role for which Thompson wanted Hayley Mills.This is a richly atmospheric, gripping, high octane thriller, dripping with menace and tension. 5 delicious, suspense-filled Stars.

This black and white film holds its own as being a masterful portrayal of evil vengeance. Intelligently interpreted without the need for overt blood and gore. This one grabs your attention. Mitchum's powerful performance leaves you in no doubt you are in the presence of a psychotic, violent sociopath "I was only playing with her". Peck, brilliant as the focus of Mitchum's target for revenge, when this extends to his family. Headed by two powerful leading actors whose tempered yet equally powerful performances give this film it's justifiable credibility. De Niro/Nick Nolte's over egged version, simply does not compare. Don't be put off by the age of this film, indeed view it with that in mind. It was ground breaking in it's day for dealing with taboos of rape and sexual violence. It has been brilliantly written, directed and performed. Grips you to the end. Still sends a chill.

Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum star in a classic tale of revenge. Mitchum is outstanding in one of his stand out performances. with musical score by the legendary Bernard Herrmann. great picture quality on this Blu-ray release.aspect ratio 1.85:1 English subtitles. sadly no extras on this particular Blu-ray release from 2016. but a true 1961 classic.

J. Lee Thompson's 1962 version of Cape Fear may not be a masterpiece, but in everyway it's a superior thriller to Martin Scorsese's horribly misjudged remake. More surprisingly, it's also much nastier even with the heavier censorship of the day - Robert Mitchum's treatment of Polly Bergen in the last reel is startlingly violent and disturbing even now and its still shocking to see an early 60s film that revolves around sex crimes. There's no doubt exactly what's on Mitchum's mind, whether he's eyeing up a pickup in a bar or breaking an egg in his fist and smearing the yolk over the mother's shoulders and neck: like a lazy reptile waiting to casually catch a fly with his tongue, he merely has to look at Gregory Peck's underage daughter to exude menace. Where the remake offered a dysfunctional family forced to come together, the original offers something much more anarchic, as Gregory Peck's Mr Civil Liberties gradually comes to realize that the only way to protect his All-American family from Mitchum's strutting lizard-like vengeful ex-con is play dirty himself and plan his murder using his own daughter as bait. He may be playing another small-town southern lawyer, but he's is as far way from Atticus Finch as Mitchum's seedy, cocky but thoroughly self-aware Max Cady is from his self-deluding self-righteous `preacher' Harry Powell.While Mitchum and Peck occupy centre-stage, James Webb's tight script ensures the supporting cast make a strong impression too as they usher Peck further down the path to murder: Martin Balsam's sympathetic police chief who'll bend the law a little to harass an ex-con for a solid citizen, Telly Savalas (with hair) as a pragmatic private eye who is not above calling in as little help from the wrong side of tracks and Jack Kruschen, not playing Jewish for a change, as Cady's mouthpiece who knows just how to use the law to protect the guilty. Aided immensely by Samuel Leavitt's menacing black and white photography and Bernard Herrmann's dramatically sinister score, Thompson's direction is right on target throughout: he may not have been one of the great directors, but he knew how to tell a story without losing the characters along the way, and he's at the top of his game here. It may not be quite a classic, but it is a strikingly effective thriller, albeit an undeniably nasty one.Unusually for a film of the period, this boasts a surprisingly excellent DVD, with a good widescreen black and white transfer and plenty of extras, from a half hour documentary (though sadly only Thompson and Peck contribute, with Mitchum notably absent), production notes, a well-designed stills montage and the original theatrical trailer. Aside from the production notes these are carried over to the region-free US Blu-ray but have all been excluded from the UK and European Blu-ray release.

Really enjoyed this movie, thought RM, was great in this, just a shame it couldn't be in colour, the quality was great, sound too, would highly recommend this seller and product arrived quickly to boot, much appreciated thank you, keep up the good work.