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Cape Fear (1991)

Directed by Martin Scorsese · Cinematography by Freddie Francis

R128 min55 frames

DramaCrimeThriller

Sam Bowden has always provided for his family's future. But the past is coming back to haunt them.

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Stills, screencaps & shots from Cape Fear

16 of 55 frames — the full set is searchable by lighting, lens, shot size, color and mood with a free account.

Cape Fear (1991) movie still: establishing — Dark, rippling water surface captured at night with subtle orange reflections. The liquid waves create…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: medium — A dimly lit interior room with shuttered closet doors and potted plants. A man stands in a doorway,…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — A professional setting with blurred interior details visible in the soft background. A man wears gold-rimmed…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: establishing — A road sign displaying text is situated in a dark, indistinct rural setting. The surroundings are…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — A dark, dimly lit environment obscures all background details behind the subject. A man stares forward while…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — A man speaks on a telephone in a dimly lit, nondescript room. He looks downward while listening intently to…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — The interior mechanics of a grand piano display the aligned felt dampers and strings. The dampers are…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — A dimly lit room contains a wooden chair holding a gray plush teddy bear. A thin thread attaches the bear to…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: establishing — A two-story colonial style house sits at the end of a dark paved driveway. Large mature trees with…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: medium — A dark room contains two people looking outside through white painted window shutters. Horizontal bands of…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — A close view of a person looking through gaps in closed horizontal window blinds. The person stares forward…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: medium — A woman stands in the dark auditorium looking down at a small constructed stage set. The set features a…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: fullbody — A man sits alone on a low brick wall at night under a dark sky. A massive fireworks display erupts in…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — A person in a blue plaid shirt sits before the keys of a piano. Their hands rest on the keys with a gold…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: closeup — The interior of a car at night with a man behind the wheel. The man looks toward the side window while…Cape Fear (1991) movie still: medium — A dimly lit movie theater filled with an audience watching a film. Three primary subjects sit in a row while…
Cape Fear (1991) — © Amblin Entertainment, Cappa Productions

Cape Fear — official trailer

What is Cape Fear about?

Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.

Where can you watch Cape Fear?

US availability for Cape Fear (1991). Data by JustWatch, listings on TMDB. Availability changes — check the provider for current listings.

Who stars in Cape Fear?

Who made Cape Fear?

What does the cinematography of Cape Fear look like?

Sampled across 55 frames, the coverage of Cape Fear leans on close-ups (45% of the sample) and medium shots (36%). Cinematographer Freddie Francis keeps 53% of it in soft, low-key light. Night and dusk account for 60% of the frames. Anamorphic glass shapes the frame. Focus stays shallow in 78% of the frames, isolating subjects from their surroundings. The production design places the film in the 1990s.

What is the color palette of Cape Fear?

The dominant colors across the sampled frames of Cape Fear (1991) are #312b2b, #131212, #4f4e4e, #d4d3d0, #463a36, #8c7769 — measured from the per-frame color data FrameThrower extracts for every film.

  • #312b2b
  • #131212
  • #4f4e4e
  • #d4d3d0
  • #463a36
  • #8c7769

See the full Cape Fear colour palette — every hex with its share, plus warmth, saturation and luminance.

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Techniques in this film

More films by Martin Scorsese

Cast, trailer and streaming data from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.