Cape Fear . Austin Chronicle . 07-27-98

Cape Fear

DIRECTED BY: J. Lee Thompson

REVIEWED: 07-27-98

You know what? Bernard Herrmann is a god. His score was soooooo good that Martin Scorsese knew he had to have it for his remake. Try to search your memory, find another case in which that happened. Sure, Tarantino used the Coffy score to propel Jackie Brown, but when has a film lifted the entire score note for note? I can't think of one. Not only that, but he had to have Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Peck is in his Atticus mode, a strong upright Southern Lawyer with righteousness on his shoulder. Mitchum ... nobody plays sleazy white trash as well as Robert Mitchum. The man had moonshine in his veins and pork rinds in his mouth. He was a lustin' for young little things and itching for a rassle. He was ... trouble with a capital "T." Personally, I would have double-billed this with The Night of the Hunter, so here's my recommendation. Go see the double feature, run to your nearest video store, rent The Night of the Hunter and watch it afterwards. You will not regret it. Afterwards you'll lock your doors, tuck your loved ones in bed, and sit with a shotgun in your lap all night long. It's a real high.

--Harry Knowles

Film Vault Suggested Links
Stir of Echoes
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie
Sleepy Hollow

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