"Cape Fear" - Textual Analysis

As the film begins, even before we are shown anything, there is a soundscape of running water. This immediately suggests that most of the film will take place around water - anchored by the images of water, and the fact that the film is called 'Cape Fear'. There is then a sound sting as the non diegetic score begins, which instantly puts the audience on edge.

The water rippling is accompanied by a contrapuntal score, as the water is calm while the music suggests otherwise. This creates many enigmas as the audience is wondering what is going to happen that makes the water significant.

The soundtrack then becomes louder and more dramatic as an eagle flies into view behind the images of the water. Again, enigmas are created as the audience is wondering how the eagle and the water are connected. Eagles also have sinister connotations, as they are birds of prey and fearsome predators, suggesting that the film may centre around a murderer or someone who preys on others.

The water then turns darker, and the music becomes even more dramatic as the title of the film appears. This suggests that the name of the film (which is a place) is important, and that bad things happen there. The text used for the credits also suggests a general feeling that something is not quite right, as they are shown in a slanted font.

An eye then fades into view behind the water, as though the person is in the water. This mysterious person is significant as they may be someone who is murdered and thrown in the water, or they could be the antagonist. who plays a significant role in the film. A shot of a mouth is then shown in the same way, which could be someone screaming. We are then shown the face of the person which becomes clearer. It become evident that the face is of a perosn laughing, which has connotations of evil and villains.

As the non-diegetic score draws out, we as an audience see that the lake turns a murky crimson colour, as if to reflect the suns evening rays. The sense that darkness is imminent revives pre-conceived notions of immediacy to mind, as in any conventional thriller, the darkness is almost an optimum time for misdemeanours to take place. The colour red also works alongside the conventional codes and conventions of Mise En Scene, as red typically signifies danger or a looming threat.

This sense of immediacy is heightened as the water begins to ripple, exposing a burly male who appears to have woken for deep sleep. The fact he is enveloped around darkness, as well as his peculiar NVC ultimately signifies he is a mysterious figure, who is somewhat cold inside, possibly looking for revenge. The audience then begin to ponder over who this mysterious man really is.

As this image fades, we are reintroduced to what appears to be the same man, writhing as the non-diegetic score continues in the distance. The fact the N-D score is repetitive, and the water has a yellowing tinge signifies that this lake has a notorious, lengthy history.

To anchor the notion of pain and danger written of above, the water then impulsively ripples to mirror a heart monitor seen in hospitals. The fact it frantically gets bigger, with red pigments oozing from the top signifies imminent death, or once again a pending doom the audience will have to wait for.

The repetitive non-diegetic soundtrack then builds to an optimum focal point of tension as the camera fades to the silhouette of a man, smothered by green water. The daunting score works alongside the NVC, as the fact he moves closer to the screen almost mirrors him walking towards the audience, which should provoke audience response.

Finally, the lake is completely consumed by a pool of blood, with a mere droplet falling in the background. This is a similar technique seen in Scream, where the white copy turns a blood curdling red as someone screams. Both examples portray to the audience that the circumstance of events have changed for the worst, as the lake is metaphorically consumed by danger and most prominently death.


In the next scene the first shot is a extreme close up of a girls eye’s, the shot fades from red to white In a negative. This infers that maybe what is happening is in the past, and connotation of the colour red perhaps means that she is the victim of what will happen later on. This shot is accompanied by a soft creepy soundtrack as the dialogue begins. The soundtrack then fades completely and the non digetic sound of a river or waterfall starts, this suggests that what will happen later will also have something to do with water.

The camera slowly zooms out to a mid shot of her whilst she is talking in a direct address. The set design of the room she is sitting in is all white, her costume is all white. The whiteness of the room and her could mean that she was the innocent victim or is insane. The connotation of the colour white normally associated with innocence or insanity which is being inferred to the audience here. Her polo shirt is done up to the top, so she could be a bit weird. Again this shows that she may have been through something and has been affected mentally by it.

When she talks she begins with the phrase ‘my reminiscence’, it shows that she used to think the place was a nice place to be and that the name of the lake (cape fear) was misleading. This again reinforces that the horror to come orientates about this place and that she is one of the main characters that has been affected by what has happened there.

The scene has been shot with no editing, and no music soundtrack this helps the audience come up with their own enigmas as it has them more entwined. This scene has used many conations with the colours it uses to create and involve the audience, its use of mise en scene, music and iconography all help the audience create enigmas about what is going to happen.


The camera slowly pans down the prison cell wall, where theirs pictures of malicious leaders of the past. These images instantly create a negative tone towards the film. The pictures automatically tell the audience that this man is the antagonist of the film. Whilst the camera is panning down the wall the loud non-diegetic soundtrack from the credits starts up again, it comes in suddenly to shock the audience and to reinforce the negative tone of the film.

We then see a close up of some books, one of them being the bible, the importance of this is that is tells the audience that he has certain beliefs, creating enigmas for what those beliefs may be. As the scene continues the music softens slightly until we see the man doing press ups. We see he’s a strong, muscularly man making the audience fear him. The fact that the music then becomes louder and turns into a musical sting reinforces the idea that he is the antagonist.

The push up movement that the actor is doing appears in a worshiping manner, as if he is worshiping the leaders on the wall, it makes the audience UN –easy as well as intriguing them. The camera then shows a close up of his back revealing his tattoos; the tattoo is a big, cross with the American style scales on either side, with the words truth under one side and justice under the other. The significance of this is huge as the scales are balanced telling the audience that he believes the truth equals justice. Then as he turns around we see that he is covered in tattoos fitting the stereotype of the classic tough criminal. The non-diegetic soundtrack then decreases in volume as the prison officer say’s to Cady “ok, the moment you’ve been waiting for” this informs the audience that he’s been in there a long time.

Cady then walks out his cell and down the stairs, as this is happening the other prisoners stare in silence giving the impression that they fear him. Another interesting point is that Cady walks in front of the prison officer representing that even the officers fear him. We see all this through a long, panning shot around the prison as Cady walks. The camera then shows a mid shot of Cady and the officer walking out through the gate, where the gate then shuts to end the scene.

The next scene then starts with the outside gate being opened and Cady walking out. As this happens the officer say’s “Anybody coming for you Cady? What about your books?” and Cady replies with “Already read em” this again reinforces that Cady has been there a long time and tells the audience that he has no one, he’s alone. The camera shows a wide, long shot as we see Cady walking out of the prison this is to establish the storm that starts up behind him; this makes the audience think that something bad is going to happen, as if Cady shouldn’t be released. The scene then ends with Cady walking straight towards the camera and the non-diegetic soundtrack building as he goes. Cady then walks straight into the camera blacking out the screen and the soundtrack comes to a sudden stop.