Mitchum vs De Niro. Who was better as Max Cady?

[lud]

Who was more convincing?

More real?

[drush9999]

Mitchum for me, much prefer the original

[Todd Tomorrow]

Sideshow Bob was best.

[Scarriere]

I haven't seen the original, but DeNiro was fricken scary.

[Poya]

Loved Mitchum but De Niro was on another level. One of his greatest achievements.

[BluCollector13]

It's heretical to say, but when I think of Max Cady, the first thing I think of is Robert De Niro burning his hand with a flare.

Mitchum does a great job of playing up a more realistic idea of the seedy menace when the situation calls for him to be especially trashy and repugnant, but De Niro is just terrifying from the moment his first tattoos are revealed and never relents on how monstrous he is.

Ultimately, what makes the "Cape Fear" remake superior to the original is the idea of the monster just plucking the already loosening strings and threads between the family instead of the standard good family vs. really bad guy.

[lud]

Originally Posted by BluCollector13

Ultimately, what makes the "Cape Fear" remake superior to the original is the idea of the monster just plucking the already loosening strings and threads between the family instead of the standard good family vs. really bad guy.

Yes, what is even more complex in remake Cady had every single reason to attack Bowden.

[SarahS]

Not sure how they can be compared as they are different era's but since the original is actually better I will go with Mitchum!

[Hoke Moseley]

Mitchum is definitely better and more "real."

De Niro is my favorite actor and I love his OTT take on Max Cady, but Mitchum definitely has him beat. Effortlessly terrifying.

[LegacyCosts]

I like the original better but gotta go with Bobby

[RFK]

Robert Mitchum. DeNiro's usually a great actor for Scorsese films but in this remake he's just chewing up the scenery, as well as Illeana Douglas cheek. He's like a slasher villain combined with Wile E. Coyote.

[Movie Memories]

Classic vs. Contemporary

Robert Mitchum. Totally agree with RFK's comment regarding DeNiro's "just chewing up the scenery."

[traths]

Robert De Niro

[edmonddantes]

De niro is/was the better actor but mitchum was far more menacing, and IMO this character was menace so Im going for mitchum.

[Winslow Leach]

Mitchum. De Niro was way over-the-top (that's not a bad thing, the whole movie was over-the-top), but Mitchum was creepy.

[Canada]

Mitchum was better

[Hilliard]

Mitchum, by far.

[Markgway]

No disrespect to Bob M., but Bob D is the superior Max in the (far) superior film.

[Bobbyjoe766]

Both were great, but De Niro's version was more frightening:

[Show spoiler]bashing the intoxicated woman and, later, the hired thugs.

[benkell]

Mitchum all the way.