Cape fear - Textual analysis

Immediately the audience can hear the sounds of non diegetic water when the image of an eagle is seen flying above the water we then hear the threatening non diegetic music begin to pick up in pace and volume to help bring the feel of suspense to the scene, with the image of the soaring eagle still in view the audience can see the typography of Robert Di Niro’s name linking him to the eagle, suggesting that this man could perhaps be the predator within the film as an eagle is associated as a predator.

The very powerful threatening non diegetic continues giving an almost contrapuntal feel to it whilst looking at the calm waters, however, the non diegetic music suits the typography as very eerie and slanted to help give the audience the impression that something isn’t quite right. As the word ‘Cape Fear’ appears on the screen through the waters it almost gives the audience the impression that cape fear has some significant to water, this is supported by the non diegetic sounds of water continuing throughout. There is then an extreme close up of both a man’s eyes and nose as they slowly fade from what appears to be within the water, suggesting that perhaps the dead lay beneath the water, this is supported by the colour coding of the colour red, showing danger and maybe even lust, the fact that the person responsible for these people being beneath the water did it for a reason. The camera then turns to a vertical way revealing a close up on a man’s face to make it appear as though the man is outside of the water, looking in at the bodies that lie beneath, perhaps suggesting that he is the predator of the film.

The non diegetic music begins to grow in pace and volume ever so slightly as the opening credits continue as the audience see a mid shot of what appears to be a man’s torso with the colour coding of the colour green as a background, a colour which is usually represented for jealousy or revenge and suggest that the man is looking for revenge and could perhaps foreshadow certain events which occur later on in the movie.

There is then an extreme close up of a eye with a fairly photo negative effect given to the picture, as the camera zooms out revealing a mid shot of a girl sitting down, both the dialogue and the negative effect used on the girl suggests that the girl is talking about something that has occurred in the past, giving the effect that the movie stars as a new equilibrium. The mise en scene of her clothing is a white buttoned up shirt, the colour white is usually associated with purity, whilst her buttoned shirt suggests she is protecting herself from something, or someone, as the camera slowly pans revealing her bit by bit.

~Anthony Wilson

The shot focuses on notorious evil dictators that suffered both paranoia and power addiction. This goes well with the non diegetic dramatic music because we are seeing very dramatic images. The shot then goes on to reveal the tattoo imprinted upon the imprisoned man. The shot has a very smart effect on the audience purely because we notice he has a portrayal of truth and justice tattooed on his back almost in a poetic manner however, as the camera zooms out it is revealed that the man is in actual fact incarcerated, which makes the audience question his motives as well as his history (he could possibly been cheated out of his deserved justice). The jailed man is doing some form of exercise which shows us that he is possibly preparing for something and at the same time gives off the imagery of him bowing down to the pictures of the dictators he obviously admires. The various law books also suggest higher education which provides a contrast between his education and his incarceration.

~Harvey Young

A zoom out of the man, shows us that he is in a cell as the bars are visible. This gives the convention of a thriller as he is in prison because he has broken the law. The diegetic sound of footsteps becoming louder and louder tell us that someone, probably a guard is approaching.

In this sequence, there is a tracking shot of the man walking in front of the guards, this shows us that he is trusted by the guards and also feared by them, this is backed up by the fact that they do not cuff him showing he maybe above the law. The character is asked to leave his cell and a long take is used showing him walking towards the exit. Again we are shown that the character is respected when there is a close up of the guard opening the door for him.

~Mike Holttum

Match on Action is used when the guard closes the door after him and a cut is used on another guard opening the gate to exit of the prison. This symbolically shows that the man is closing the door on his prison life and is opening a door to his new found freedom. A mid shot is on the man if as he is asked if he wants to keep his books. He replies "already read them" showing that he has been in prison for a long time and has managed to read every single book which were of law. This foreshadows that this character could use this books to his advantage later on in the film. There is then mise en scene of a storm behind the mans head as he slowly walks away from the prison, the storm could indicate the fact that the man is brewing a storm, that something bad is coming, and its coming with him.

~Jack Windsor

By Anthony Wilson, Mike Holttum, Harvey Young and Jack WIndsor