In Martin Scorsese’s 1991 thriller “Cape Fear” based on James R. Webb’s book “The Executioners,” the character of Max Cady is used as a shadow figure for Sam Bowden. In this film their back story is changed. In the book Bowden and Cady were stationed on a military base in Australia where Bowden witnessed Cady raping a

Cady and Bowden

young girl and testified as a witness against him. In the 1991 remake Bowden (Nick Nolte) is a much more conflicted character. He is seriously flawed. He has affairs, neglects his family, and most importantly he wronged Cady (Robert De Niro). In this film Bowden represents Cady, who is on trial for rape. Bowden gets a report that the girl Cady raped was sexually promiscuous. Instead of using this information in Cady defense, he buries the information so he can go to prison. In the case of the book, little remorse is felt for Cady but in this film the audience sympathizes with him because he has been wrong.

The most important purpose of Cady though is as proof of Bowden’s misdeeds. Cady is a devoutly religious sociopath. He tells Danielle in the film, “I don’t hate him at all. Oh, no. I pray for him. I’m here to help him. We all make mistakes, Danielle.

Cady attacking Bowden’s mistress Lori

You and I have. At least we try to admit it. Don’t we?” basically much like a priest, Cady is trying to get Cady to confess his sins and live up to his misdeeds. This is why Cady inflicts pain on the people who Bowden has hurt like his mistress, his family, and most importantly Bowden’s influential reputation as a lawyer.

Cady almost seems inhuman and works almost like a dark guardian angel to Bowden. He is in Bowden’s dreams, he moves freely and easily within their home, follows the family like a shadow, he speaks in tongues, and he is extremely difficult to kill. In comparison to other films, he almost

Cady watching the Bowden’s

resembles the inhuman aspect of Jason in John Carpenter’s “Halloween.” Cady and Bowden are a perfect example of a mental battle of predator and prey.

While violent actions do come from Cady, he does not try to physically attack Bowden himself until the end. Instead he tries to destroy his life to get Bowden to confess his sins, basically punishing him for his misdeeds.

This adds a significant element that the book did not originally have. Bowden is downgraded from the hero of the story and it is difficult to tell who is good and who is bad in this film, especially when you sympathize with Cady.