11. Cape Fear Analysis

The scene opens with the reflection on a lake of an Eagle which is a bird of prey; this shows the film involves a predator in it. Also at this point the soundtrack changes to a dramatic sound, making it clear this is an important representation of a character.

The film Title font is jagged and distorted representing the genre Thriller. It also may represent the predator’s fractured personality. The lake is showing calm ripples of water, however the mystery to water is we don’t know what is under it which alarms a sense of danger and unknown.

The lake turns red which instantly represents blood and creates a sense of fear and danger in the audiences mind.

The non-diegetic soundtrack stops as the girl uses direct address, this shows what she is saying is important. Her costume she is wearing tells us she is the victim, as her top is white and her buttons are done right up representing innocence and purity.

The shot shows a man in a prison with tattoos on his back, a religious cross representing Christianity and the ‘scales of justice’ representing old fashioned values such as ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ this shows us he always takes revenge.

This show the man being let out of prison, the fact he is walking in front of the prison warden shows he is the dominant character and shows his control. Everyone is the cells are silent and staring at him showing they are scared and feel threatened by him.

The long shot shows the man walking out of prison with the storm in the background which shows the audience is going to do bad things and represents his nature is dangerous and unstoppable. He then breaks the 4^th wall and walks straight through the camera showing us his dominance and power.

By Penny Horsnell