Textual Analysis of Cape Fear

The first thing we see is calm water. Although the water seems calming, the music creates a sinister feel to the opening. We are then shown the reflection of an eagle in the water along with the credits of Robert De Niro, this could be interpreted as the eagle representing the fact his character is a predator in the film. The font used for the credits is in an italic, jagged font, which relates to the harsh tones of the soundtrack. We are then shown two different eyes. The first eye looking straight into the camera with a calmness, which we assume is the antagonist. It then switches to a flickering eye which appears nervous, making the audience assume it is the victim. An unclear dark figure then appears in the water. We interpreted the use of the unclarity of this shadow resembles the way in which De Niro's character sees the world, he sees it in a different way to the rest of the world. We then linked this with the use of the calm water to represent the fact although he sees the world in a unconventional way, he believed how he sees it, is the correct way. Text reading "Cape Fear" then appears on the screen asif appearing from beneath the water. This could show the storyline of film includes water and secrets emerging from unexpected places.