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The 1991 revenge revenge Cape Fear it boasts many notable moments. A bear tied with fishing wire. A drowned man speaking in tongues. But the image I can’t shake is the back of the boat, driven by a lawyer who is being tortured by Max Cady, the rapist who sent him to prison. The boat is called Moana. It makes sense – throughout Polynesia, moana means “sea”. However, looking at it now, I can’t help but wonder if The Rock will show up and save the day with his magical pec tattoo.
Martin Scorsese’s classic was a remake of the 1962 film, which was based on a 1957 novel. Reinventing an IP can feel frustrating, but Cape Fear always stirs the pot. The 60’s movie, starring Gregory Peck as a virtuous man victimized by an unscrupulous villain, had the essence of the Book of Job. Scorsese’s version introduced sympathy for the devil, with the jaundiced appearance of his protagonist: a lawyer who withholds evidence that could exonerate his client, who he believes should go to prison. A high-water mark, though, perhaps Cape FearThe Simpsons series featuring Sideshow Bob. (Best. Episode. Ever.)
Now, a new version of our time (Apple TV, from Friday 5 June). The lawyer is wealthy Anna Bowden, who 17 years ago asked for help. After Cady received a life sentence, Anna married a prosecutor. Which is not allowed, but it makes the experiments look better than the salt prices. Cady has counted every brutal minute in prison: “I died 6,222 times. That’s how many days I served.” After his release, he has the right to campaign for patient compensation for Bowden and his family. If that’s what they still want. In this story, many twists await. Thank God, because there are 10 hours to kill.
The fact that this is a TV series speaks to how difficult it is to make movies. Scorsese often negotiates difficult financing for new films. It’s like the Medicis refusing to buy Leonardo da Vinci’s pencils. Can you imagine the most important modern filmmaker, who balances art with commercial success? Steven Spielberg, maybe? They are all major producers here. At least Apple is happy to pick up the tab, as well as traditional popularity. Your phone probably paid a tab on the BLT in the regular menu, too. You have done well.
Should it be TV? The appearance of the Cape Fear has always given it the power of a biblical story. Stretching the material five times allows the air to escape. However if anyone can make a way around these rocks, it’s this creative team. There are new characters, new types of suffering, connected to new technology. The show is now dominated by the themes of economic crisis and political events. Dread can be revived at any time. One of the new characters is a woman wearing a Covid mask.
There is a lot to eat, if you want to do chops and sauce. Javier Bardem She is excellent as Cady, marrying Michael Shannon’s brutality with Andrew Scott’s tenderness. Making his lawyer a woman increases the scope of the negotiations; especially when played by the Southern-accented Amy Adams, her voice is honey and brutally suppressed, until she sounds narcotised. The two made an uneasy deal to free a wrongfully convicted prisoner. Max is menacing, manipulative, mysterious, perhaps still a victim – not the villain we’ve come to expect. Where should the animals be? This is a psychological drama, modern in description, but lit by gaslight.
It doesn’t take a lot of thinking to imagine why we might be drawn to the story of famous, evil people hiding in plain sight. Or a reminder of our powerlessness in the face of someone who wants to destroy our reputation. At its core, Cape Fear is a comedy about how soft western life is, which we seem to live without blood. But there is one question I would like to answer. They were not able to know the boat, and what can they do? Finding Dory? SpongeBob SquarePants?
