Cape Fear Analysis

As a group in class, we sat down and looked at the opening of the film 'Cape Fear'. Everyone came up with a lot of good ideas as we looked deeper into the meaning behind different things in the clip.

Here is a screen shot of the very first clip of the opening. The fact that the image is blurred because of the water, represents the way that the main character sees the world. Also, the Eagle is a bird of prey which reflects the fact that he is also a predator and a dangerous character.

Next we see the image of an eye. We can tell that this is the victims eye because it is wide and looking around, showing that this person is scared.

The colour red in the water gives a sense of danger and can represent blood. It is also warning the audience that somthing bad is going to happen.

Here we have a silhouette of the mans body. The fact that it is a silhouette suggests mystery and intrigues the audience. Also, the tinted green water could represent the feeling of jealousy and envy.

The director then uses direct addressing as we are introduced to a woman talking to the audience. We assume that this women is the victim as she is wearing a white top, representing her innocence and purity. The fact that all the buttons are done up on her top also show this.

We are then introduced to as man working out in prison. The 'scales of justice' tattoo on his back could reflect the fact that he wants to get revenge.

The way that the prison guards follow him instead of lead him through the prison, and that way that they move out the way for him, suggests that he is a dominant figure and that other people feel threatened by him. This indicates that he is in prison for a serious crime.

The dramatic music and the storm that occurs when he gets out of the prison indicate danger. Also, the fact that he is leaving the prison alone links back and imitates the nature of the eagle in the first scene, suggesting he is on a hunt for revenge now he has been released.







Analysing Cape Fear has been a very useful task as we have learnt a lot about the way we can represent things in our Thriller. It has also taught us how to look deeper into the meanings of things in movies, and how to apply that to our own.