Cape Fear

Director J Lee Thompson's 1962 suspense thriller "Cape Fear" is a perfectly crafted film from the black and white shooting by Sam Leavitt to help create a sordid and dark atmosphere to the spine-tingling musical score by the master Bernard Hermann to the excellent cast, such as Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, who provide exceptional performances.

Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck) is a lawyer who is happily married to his wife, Peggy, with a teenage daughter, Nancy. He has a quiet life and little worries to care for until released convict, Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) is seeking revenge against him. Cady blames Bowden for his 8 years of imprisonment because Bowden failed to get him an innocent verdict in court by testifying against him for a serious crime he was accused of (and he had committed). Cady starts by stalking Bowden and his family by showing up wherever Bowden and his family go but always stays within the confines of the law while making life miserable for Bowden. Throughout the film, Bowden does everything legally possible to protect his family but he finds he is powerless under the law. He then has no other choice but to get down and dirty in order to deal with a totally amoral man in order to protect his family. It all ends in a showdown on the river of Cape Fear.

Robert Mitchum stands out with his outstanding performance as the relentless villain. His character, Max Cady, is already frightening, as he is just not a lunatic, but a clever and ruthless fiend who is careful and meticulous in every detail of his diabolical schemes.

Lizzy   =)