If you're looking for a film with universal acclaim, please stop doing so. If you want a story that has "a little something for everyone", let us know when you find that modern miracle. Demographics were invented for a very good reason. You might entertain a few different groups but you'll never get them all.
If you're going to tell stories you're going to make decisions. Your decisions will put some people off, no matter what they are. A successful story captures the intended audience, by appealing to a great number within the targeted group. If someone enjoys a property that's not marketed to them, it's a happy bonus, not something to expect.
Even if your goal is set in stone and well defined, the temptation to change it will always be present. Authors and directors are creative people, and all they want to do is please with their creations. The next "Psycho" and the next "Saw" franchise is right around the corner, and being a part of the next big thing is a captivating dream. I'm sure there are pitfalls, on the way to a huge hit, and changing a story to widen appeal is probably one of them.
Classic Movie Trailers – Cape Fear (1991)
As an amateur, and someone outside the movie business, I have some pretty radical ideas. First, I'll share the notion that happy endings are overrated. I'm not saying that films should all be downers, but many of them would benefit from a more appropriate conclusion. That's a point of contention which will surely be opposed, and I freely admit that what's suitable is very subjective.
I'm just pointing out the overabundance of "feel good" moments, that are tacked on to the end of almost every modern film. I understand the financial need to make your customers happy, but I believe they're best served by serving the story itself. If every picture ends on a positive note, they become predictable and plainly artificial.
I know that people say they want to cheer at the end, but I think the reality is more complicated. We pay the ticket price for a great experience, but no one knows what that is. You can cater to what you think we want to see, but if we're clueless, how do you figure it out? Don't draw a blueprint from fan sites and message boards; you could dance to that tune and fall flat on your face.
Instead, give us what the fiction calls for; feel the flow of the narrative and judge for yourself. I have to commend Scorsese and the cast of this picture, for delivering a finale that was very well-earned. I won't say whether it was an "upper" or "downer", but I believe it fit the story perfectly. Anything darker would have overdone it, and anything lighter would have seemed out of place.
It hit that sweet spot, where it could give us what we needed, because we were denied it for a very long time. At the end of the journey, the final act was believable, relieving and satisfying at the same time. The roller-coaster had cruised to a stop, and the proceeding ride was intense enough to allow for that. Part of the reason why "Cape Fear" delivers, is the ability of De Niro to push the envelope.
Years ago, I wrote an essay inspired by "Taxi Driver". It was the most disturbing thing I'd ever seen. Here, it's the same guy doing it all over again, and I swear that he's more terrifying than Dracula. Robert's scenes with Juliette Lewis and Illeana Davis, were filled with tension and intentionally drawn out. The editor and studio were brave enough, to let the thriller work towards an end that's justified.
That isn't to say that everyone appreciated it. I have no doubt that some found it to be unbearable. That could mean an overall dislike of the genre, or it could be a reflection of where they are in life. Regardless, analyzing them is probably a mistake, and changing the movie to please them would be a tragic error.
Art styles are commissioned by a specific kind of consumer, and if you meet their needs you'll alienate others. It's best to make to a product to delight a few, than to mold something which disappoints everyone. I believe that great success can't be engineered; but if you deliver quality, you have a better chance.
Think twice, before you close on flowers and sunshine. Anyone can write a "good" ending, but few can write a great one. "Frankenstein" was a heart-wrenching tragedy, as was the "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Both of those stories are timeless classics, and we don't seem to have the guts to make them anymore.
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@ChannelSeals
See "Cape Fear" on Netflix !
Next Week: "The Killer"! Directed by John Woo.
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