Cape Fear - Textual Analysis

Cape Fear (1991) Directed by Martin Scorsese.



In terms of cinematography, there is no camera movement used within the title sequence as the focus is on what moves/appears in the space, this is because the images such as the blood and eye are there to set the audience expectations of a thriller film through themes such as fear and violence. These images are shown through extreme closeups (such as the eye and mouth which are under the water) to portray that this person may be iscolated or trapped. As the scene cuts to the next, an extreme close up of a pair of eyes features in a 'negative' effect like a photograph which leads the audience to believe that the images previously shown have happened in the past and she holds the memory of this experience. The camera then reverse zooms to a mid shot of a girl talking about 'Cape Fear', the fact that she is standing in front of a water background and has wet hair also suggests that she is linked to the river and images which appeared through the title sequence. When the scene cuts the the prison setting there is a close up pan of images on the cell wall leading to, through a reverse zoom to a mid shot, the shot of a man exercising which suggests to the audience that he is working to be like the dictators, such as Stalin, by using images of them as inspiration. As he leaves the prison, the camera pans as the guard follows him which establishes his power. The fact that the other prisoners who, unlike him, are sharing cells and watching him leave also emphasizes the importance of this man. Another contribution to this idea is that, as he walks down the stairs, the camera also moves downwards to rejoin him on the level below. This is key as this pan is used rather than a high angle shot from the level above to show that he is not inferior or vulnerable, but powerful and potentially dangerous. A match cut is used to show continuity of the sequence, however his clothes have changes which implies to the audience that time has passed. As he leaves the institution, a wide shot is used to show the setting and he walks into the camera which acts as a threat and succeeds in making the audience wary of this character. Jade Smith
In terms of editing, the opening sequence if Cape Fear uses many cutaways and dissolves to show certain images in the opening titles. The titles start with a sound sting and the anchor of Cape Fear, with the typography matching the dramatic soundtrack being played. The clip also has close up’s of the rippling water accompanied with the diegetic sound of water running. This links in with the title of Cape Fear, and the accompanying cutaways of the eagle, eyes, teeth and face create many connations for the audience. The cutaways in particular create a fearful persona about the man being shown, and make the audience believe that he will be the main antagonist of the film. After the titles, a young girl is shown briefly in black and white, which resembles the past in some way. This is then supported when she says ‘my reminiscence’ and so establishes the narrative of the film. A match cut is then used when the prison gate is opened. This is the only cut used in this sequence, so that the audience can follow and focus on the man shown leaving prison. Laurence Ruthven
The use of Mise-en-scene in Cape Fear effectively portrays the representation and stereotypes of thriller films. Early on in the scene a darkly feathered bird comes into the shot. This implies that something is not right and has connotations of danger. As the opening credits go on the shot is of moving water. As it develops the water turns to red this has associations with blood and violence this stays with the theme of thriller. The use of close-ups of a mouth and eyes give a sense of mystery as we cannot see the characters full face. As the title sequence continues the red water splits in the middle and the middle turns black. As this happens the speed of movement of the water increases. This could be seen as looking like the wave of a life support machine. This has connotations that someone could be in danger or end up on life support perhaps. A major thriller representation is the use of a young girl at the end of the credits. She is blonde and wearing white. In thrillers these are things used to imply innocence. As she tells her story which starts nicely but then turns into a story of terrible horror. We hear her innocence go and it becomes increasingly evident she has been de-sensitised. As we see Robert De Niro’s character in his prison cell the camera tilts down and zooms out to show pictures of dictators and other questionable characters (most noticeably Joseph Stalin). This shows us that the character is someone that could be obsessed with power and has some questionable views. As he leaves the prison and the gates open the camera zooms out to show storm clouds and once the character is outside the prison lighting storm starts. This is as if to say “there is a storm coming “. Matt Simmons The director uses the concept of sound throughout the opening scene to create a sense of mystery and also to build up tension. The opening scene of Cape fear is focused on a lake. The water is made to move with the music, when the music is slow the water has slow ripples but when the music becomes loud and fast so does the ripples. As the camera focuses on the water, we see the reflection of an eagle. As the eagle crosses the water the music becomes louder, this is to show that the bird is dangerous and scary insinuating that the film is going to be similar. The director uses a contrast of digetic and non digetic sound. This is used to create mystery and tension. In the opening scene we here the water flowing, this is used because of how water is one of the scariest elements, non digetic sound is used when we here the music rise in the background, this is used to create a sense of mystery and tension. Elliott Joyner