David Raksin once told this anecdote about the director Alfred Hitchcock:

One of [Hitchcocks] people said to me, Theres not going to be music in our
picture and I said, Why? WellHitchcock says theyre out on the open ocean.
Where would the music come from? So I said, Go back and ask him where the
camera comes from and Ill tell him where the music comes from!
1

As innocuous as the comment may seem, it does catch the paradoxical nature of
music in film. On the one hand, a director is seeking to convey a world that, for all
purposes, is real within the narrative; on the other hand, who lives their life with an
orchestra playing an accompanying role, commenting on and reflecting ones
experiences? Such a situation is ludicrous, however, music is important because of its
ability to evoke certain ideas through its association with particular onscreen objects.
Maurice Halbwachs, writing on the power of music upon ones memory, argues that if
music were not present in a scene, the silent figures would convey much less
effectively the illusion of reality and certain ideas may be lost on the viewer.
2
This is
not the place to discuss the relative merits of different musical styles that have been
used, suffice to say that music plays an indispensable role in film.
3

In this essay, I will primarily discuss the music of Cape Fear (1962), directed by J.
Lee Thompson with a particular focus on the formal elements and musical techniques
of the score. This serves to introduce aspects of the music from Martin Scorseses
1991 remake of Cape Fear in relation to the original. Although there are minor
discrepancies between the two plots, the general premise is a convicted rapist [Max
Cady, played by Robert Mitchum and then Robert de Niro] is released from prison
and proceeds to torment a lawyer [Sam Bowden, played by Gregory Peck and Nick
Nolte] as revenge for Bowden having played an important role in his trial and
consequent conviction. Cady never commits a crime, however, and thus Bowden is
forced to take vigilante action leading to a climactic fight-scene at his houseboat on
the Cape Fear River. The original film presents a relatively clear distinction between
the good and bad characters whereas Scorsese (rather typically) introduces various
sub-plots, such as Bowdens marital infidelity and his daughters precocious and
rebellious nature, that blur the viewers sympathetic position towards the characters.
Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) composed the orchestral score for the original Cape
Fear. Herrmanns collaboration with Thompson has arguably been overshadowed by
the composers more documented work with Alfred Hitchcock; Page Cook even
contends that Cape Fear was one of the worst films of the year and is sorry
Herrmann had to work on it.
4
Critical reception of the film aside, the score displays
typical features of Herrmanns compositional style and underpins the psychological
nature of the film; as Steven Smith bluntly states, Herrmann was perfect for Cape
Fear and his score was able to reinforce the savagery of the narrative.
5

Martin Scorseses Cape Fear was scored by Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004). The more
remarkable feature of the music is that much of it was appropriated from Herrmanns

1
David Raksin, Composers and the Creative Process, symposium presented at the Virginia Festival
of American Film, Charlottesville, Virginia, 25 October, 1990, reprinted in,
Kathryn Kalinak, Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film (Madison, Wisconsin:
University of Wisconsin Press, 1992), xiii.
2
Maurice Halbwachs, The Collective Memory, trans. Francis J. Ditter, Jr., and Vida Yazdi Ditter (New
York: Harper & Row, 1980), pp. 158-159.
3
Robynn J. Stillwell, Music in Films: A Critical Review of Literature, 1980-1996, The Journal of
Film Music 1, no. 1 (2002), 19.
4
Page Cook, Bernard Herrmann, Films in Review 18, no. 7 (1967), 411.
5
Steven C. Smith, A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann (Los Angeles:
University of California Press, 1991), 252.
score and adapted for the remade film. Bernstein also used material from Herrmanns
infamously rejected score for Hitchcocks Torn Curtain (1966) in the climactic scenes
of the film and composed new material that features in the opening credits. Bernstein
himself says that Herrmann was one of [his] heroesand it [was] a privilege to work
on one of his scores.
6
He further praises Herrmanns score:
The wonderful thing that film music can always do is [to be] not totally explicit, to
get behind and inside the charactersI think that the score of Cape Fear does that
not in terms of the characters so much, but the overall feeling of the music to me
feels inside the film, not on top of it.
7

A quote such as this could, in fact, be applied to much of Herrmanns work. When the
augmented chords are heard as Marion Crane is stabbed in Psycho (1960), they do not
merely mimic the stabbing actions carried out on screen. The harshly played string
instruments combined with the complete lack of a tonal centre (arguably a
fundamental component for musical stability in Western music) convey the brutal
nature of both the scene and Cranes killer, Norman Bates. Similarly, Herrmanns
music for the opening of Vertigo (1958) dissonant arpeggiated figures in contrary
motion does not just reflect the on-screen vertigo, but conveys a sort of musical
vertigo and dizziness. A common technique by film composers was to use musical
styles or genres that the audience would associate with the visual image; as Bernstein
points out, Herrmanns approach was not intellectual (such as composing a Rule
Britannia-like figure to accompany a navy ship) but emotional in that the music
would capture the inner essence of the films narrative and characters states-of-
mind.
8

I will first examine Herrmanns score and the principal musical motifs used in Cape
Fear (1962) keeping in mind how the music does manage to get inside the film.
Even the most amateur movie critic (or indeed fan) will arguably be aware of the
characteristic sound of Herrmanns scores; my purpose here is to uncover the
musical elements that lead to such a sound. Bernsteins approach to scoring the later
movie will also be considered how he adapted Herrmanns material and how his
own music was integrated into the soundtrack. Lastly, it is worth examining the use of
source music in both films. Although the sourced material may not necessarily
concern Herrmann and Bernstein it was more likely a collaboration between the
director, music editors and consultants it appears to have been selected purposefully
because its content illuminates and reflects aspects of the narrative. It must be noted
that the musical examples provided throughout this essay are transcriptions of the
more salient features of the score; there is, of course, further instrumentation that has
not been presented.
Before progressing to the music in detail, it is necessary to outline a few aesthetic
ideas pertaining to film music. Consider the term film music it is evidently an
interdisciplinary subject that involves knowledge of both film and music theory. As
an academic sub-discipline it is youthful and this presents challenges, in part, as
William Rosar acknowledges, because the scholarly contributions have come from a

6
Elmer Bernstein, Bio, Elmer Bernstein: Biography, Elmer Bernstein Enterprises, Inc., from
http://www.elmerbernstein.com/bio/biography.html (accessed 17 July, 2010).
7
David Morgan, F-C-B-F Spells Fear: Composer Elmer Bernstein and the Scoring of Cape Fear,
Elmer Bernstein: News and Events, Elmer Bernstein Enterprises, Inc., from
http://www.elmerbernstein.com/news/capefear.html (accessed 17 July, 2010).
8
Joshua Waletzky, Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann, VHS (New York: Sony Music
Entertainment Inc., 1992).
diverse range of backgrounds.
9
Consequently, there is a level of uncertainty about
what should actually be studied if one is to engage with film music. Rosar further
states that the more common approach has been to examine the various functions of
music in film, treating it as non-autonomous entity that has a specific purpose.
10
There
is nothing wrong with such an approach; however, it is suited to writers with a film
background. After all, a functional appraisal of the music in film only requires a
rudimentary understanding of, and engagement with the technical aspects of the
music. For example, one could quite easily comment that music with fast-moving
rhythms reflects the visual content in a car chase scene; if the music then changes to
slower rhythms it might contradict the same visual content. If the functionality of the
music is the desired point of the study then there is no need for requisite musical
knowledge, rather one only needs to analyse the visual images and link it to the aural
content.

From a musicological perspective the task is the same; that is, to examine the
relationship between what is seen and heard. The musicologist, however, is more
concerned with musical elements melody, harmony, and so forth rather than
solely focusing on the scores functional aspects. To discuss these and then relate
them to the visual content raises another issue though: the meaning of music. As
Kalinak notes, there is a question of how music can stand for concrete and
identifiable phenomena when its method of signification is neither direct nor
inherent.
11


Fortunately, it seems there is no reason to get weighed down by such aesthetic
concerns. After all, in film (as in song) the meaning is communicated extra-musically,
in this case by what is seen, something which can easily be explained in concrete
terms. In discussing the relationship of music to the visual content, one is rather
straying into the territory of musical perception theory in that the musical content
gains its meaning, so to speak, depending on how it is associated with the visual
images. Without becoming involved in debates over psychological interpretations of
music, it is necessary to postulate the theory that the listeners (viewers) of Cape Fear
feel a sense of stability and comfort when the harmonic and tonal elements of the
music are in accordance with the rules of the Western tonal tradition (and vice-
versa). One could cite evidence against such a claim
12
and furthermore, one must
consider the breakdown of tonality in twentieth century Western art music.
Herrmanns score was composed in the late 1950s, well after the advent of serialism
and other non-tonal idioms. Thus it seems difficult to ascribe a degree of stability to
tonal music, given this particular harmonic system had become one among many
options for composers, as opposed to its assumed superiority that had prevailed in
the preceding centuries.


9
William H. Rosar, Film music Whats in a name? Journal of Film Music 1, no. 1 (2002), 1.
10
Ibid., 13.
11
Kalinak, Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film, 13.
12
For example, Nicholas Cook conducted an experiment in which tonal pieces of music were altered so
as to avoid ending in the tonic key and then presented to students who were asked to rank the pieces in
terms of several criteria, including tonal closure. The results suggested that the idea of tonal unity and
closure was relatively weak and hardly perceptible. For a discussion of this experiment, see:
Robert Gjerdingen, An Experimental Music Theory? in Rethinking Music, eds. Nicholas Cook and
Mark Everist (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), pp. 161-170.
However, as Hyer rightly states, the dissolution of tonality is an historical not a
cognitive phenomenon; most of the music in the public consciousness throughout the
twentieth century has been rooted in a rather conservative tonal idiom.
13
Furthermore,
Roger Scruton argues, in relation to atonal music, that even though the formal
elements of the music might shift away from tonality, it is the order of triadic
tonality that is heard in music in a Western culture.
14
That is, even if the music is not
constructed according to triadic tonality conventions, the listener will attempt to
impose such a framework on what is heard. Royal S. Brown emphasises this point; he
states that the central feature of tonal music is the expectation of resolution and
conclusion. He goes on to argue that the haunting nature of Herrmanns scores arises
precisely because the music never reaches these conditions.
15
It is therefore plausible
that the listener should feel unsettled if their tonal expectations are not met.
Bernard Herrmanns score for the original Cape Fear is centred on a set of varied, but
closely related, motifs. The film opens with what Elmer Bernstein describes as eight
horns playing the main Cape Fear theme.

Figure 1. Cape Fear Theme

The theme immediately establishes the interval of a semitone as important it
occurs as the central interval in the first statement and its variation in the second bar.
The interval of a semitone permeates the entire score, either as part of a motif or as a
single musical gesture by itself. The initial presentation of the theme also contains the
interval of an augmented fourth between the B and F, an interval that in Western
classical music has been linked to tonal ambiguity and instability.
16
The combined use
of the semitone and the tritone certainly upsets any notion of tonal stability in the
theme. The Fs that bound each bar suggest a tonal centre; however, the intermediate
intervals dispel this idea, as do the lack of thirds or any supporting harmony that may
confirm either a major or minor tonality.

The tonal ambiguity, though, is contrasted with a strong rhythmic structure. The
theme unfolds in even crotchets at a slow but steady tempo of approximately 60 beats
per minute creating a sense of march-like uniformity compared to the unknown tonal
centre. Yet even the rhythmic structure is jolted out of its regularity; after three bars,
Herrmann seamlessly shifts to another musical idea, denying the listener the
expectation that the Cape Fear theme will continue as repetitions of a two-bar
phrase.

When the theme returns later in the opening credits, the flutes assume the melody
which is harmonized by tremolo lower strings.


13
Brian Hyer, Tonality, in Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28102
(accessed 4 August, 2010).
14
Roger Scruton, The Aesthetics of Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 285.
15
Waletzky, Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann, VHS.
16
William Drabkin, Tritone, in Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28403
(accessed 30 July, 2010).
Figure 2. Cape Fear Theme Harmonized

The tonal instability is heightened by the movement of the bass either up a semitone
or down a tone. It would be possible to identify the harmonies that are created but it
would be impossible to identify any function or relationship between them. The
tonality is further confused when the variation of the theme (bars 3 and 4 above) are
repeated (in the hypothetical bars 5-6) over a Db in the bass, thus creating a softer
and more gentle rendition by hinting at a Db major seventh chord (the operative
notes being the Dband C).

Following the opening Cape Fear theme, Herrmann introduces two motifs that are
used extensively throughout the film, titled here as Motif I and Motif II.

Figure 3. Motif I

This motif clearly takes the idea of a semitone as its starting point its main feature is
the contrary motion chromatic scale played by the violins and double basses. Inside
this scale are small semitone fragments played by the horns which follow the violins
in a descending sequence. Like the opening theme, Motif I destroys any notions of
stability and Herrmann toys with the listeners rhythmic expectations in conjunction
with the tonal ambiguity.

To illustrate this point, consider a Western major scale. The importance of the tonic
note in the major scale creates a goal for the music, a point towards which it is
directed. By comparison, there is no hierarchy of pitches in a chromatic scale and
consequently, a lack of harmonic direction. Extrapolating from these ideas, it is
understandable that Motif I conveys a sense of endlessness; because it is formed from
two chromatic scales, there can be no point of resolution and therefore no moment
when one naturally detects a conclusion to the phrase. In this sense, when Herrmann
ends the motif after five bars, it is unexpected and unsettling for the listener. Not only
does a five-bar phrase fall outside the conventional four-bar length associated with
Western classical music but there is seemingly no reason why the motif should end at
that point as opposed to a bar later or a bar before or at any point. The particular tonal
ambiguity highlighted here therefore crosses over into rhythmic and structural
ambiguity.

Motif II follows the harmonized Cape Fear theme in the opening credits.
Figure 4. Motif II

Motif II should sound and look familiar it is derived from Motif I. The horns are
given the melody that is, the three-note rising semitone idea that descends in
minor 3rds; while the descending chromatic scale played by the violins is placed in
the background as a figure that fills the middle of the bar. In the opening credits, this
follows the softened Cape Fear theme (with the Db major harmony) and one can
argue that this is appropriate given the more relaxed nature of the motif. Granted there
is no more sense of a key than anything preceding it; however, with the prominence
of the horn line, one hears the shape of the melody as featuring the descending minor
third which is arguably less harsh and discordant than a continuous chromatic scale
(as had been the case with Motif I). Furthermore, the lack of a bass line removes the
tension that had occurred in Motif I when the two chromatic scales were
superimposed on one another.

The issue at this point is how the music relates to the onscreen content. The motifs
outlined all occur in succession during the opening title sequence, in which a man
(who the audience does not yet know is Max Cady) walks through the township of
North Essex towards the courthouse. It is a sunny day and the town is presented as an
idyllic and placid setting. The score, at first, completely undermines this idea with the
tonally dissonant motifs that suggest and foreshadow the disturbing narrative that will
follow. When the Cape Fear theme is re-presented, some of this tension between the
visual and musical content is relaxed, arguably through the presence of harmonies in
the string part. However, the continued lack of a tonal centre throughout the motifs
maintains the underlying sense of anxiety.
Smith argues that Motif I (not referred to as such by Smith) foreshadows the conflict
between Cady and Bowden; the chromatic voices move slowly toward each other,
analogous to the impending game of cat-and-mouse played by the main
characters.
17
Smith further argues that the closer proximity of the voices, as seen in
Motif II, reveals that the Bowden and Cadys game will result in a deadly
confrontation.
18
One suspects that this interpretation may be a little too poetic,
especially given that neither of the main characters is killed.
19
Nonetheless, one can
understand how the initial music may provide some insight into the films synopsis.
Furthermore, the music implicates Cady as the villain Motif II continues, played
by the lower strings with a pizzicato bass, as he walks into the courthouse. When he
walks into the courtroom, the music ends, seemingly put to rest by the presence of the
hero, Sam Bowden. Therefore, the music through the opening sequence essentially
serves to warn the audience of the villain, Max Cady, and the role he will play in the
film. Herrmanns score fulfils this purpose through the use of tonal instability and
structural disjointedness, features that convey musical unsettlement, thus
complementing the films disturbing narrative.
The mood of the film changes little throughout Bowden and his family are in
constant fear of Cady. This aspect is arguably reflected in the music; Herrmanns raw

17
Smith, A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann, 252.
18
Ibid., 252.
19
NB: The private detective hired by Bowden is killed by Cady at the Cape Fear River but this
character is unmentioned by Smith; therefore it seems highly unlikely he was in fact referring to this
aspect of the plot.
material is slight, using the same motifs (the notable exception is the Cape Fear
theme which does not return until the closing credits) albeit with subtle variations.
The motifs are often fragmented or varied Motif II, for example, is at times
presented in inverted form. In this sense, Herrmanns music may loosely correspond
to Roy Prendergasts category of the developmental score (compared to a
leitmotif or monothematic score).
20
The basis of the developmental score is that
the primary ideas are presented in the opening of the film, comparable to the
exposition of sonata form; this forms the nucleus from which later musical ideas are
drawn or derive.
21
The initial presentation of Motif I and Motif II in relatively
extended forms is appropriate due to the length and introductory nature of the scene.
The ensuing fragmentation of motifs is invariably a practical consideration (i.e. it
would be infeasible for Herrmann to compose full-length motifs for every scene);
however, one might also argue that the seemingly irregular presentation of brief
musical figures reflects the apprehension of Bowden. The music never settles on a
regular and consistent form, just as Bowden is never able to settle his own fears.
That said, there are new motifs introduced in the course of the film. Motif III is
introduced in the scene in which Bowden goes to visit the victim of Cadys attack.
Figure 5. Motif III

The motif is repeated and then harmonized in open fifths.
Figure 6. Motif III Harmonized

Motif III is evidently similar to the earlier motifs through its manipulation of the
semitone. Played by the horns in their high register, it evokes an eerie and ominous
mood, echoed by the hollow fifths. This interval has the ability to convey such an
idea, arguably, because in conventional harmony terms it remains undefined with
regards to either a major or minor tonality. There is also a sense of melancholy
contained within the melody. This is perhaps a consequence of the horns timbre a
full but unimposing sound and also the legato technique employed in the phrase.
The earlier motifs were marked by tremolo and a comparatively detached playing
technique; in short, the notes are attacked fiercely by the orchestra.
Motif III is also the first to both descend and ascend in the same figure and as a
consequence presents the listener with a goal of sorts the F# that appears over
the barline. This provides only a partial sense of completion and structure within the
phrase, however, it seems significant relative to the previous musical themes. Motifs I
and II with their rather more relenting nature (each voice continuously descends or
ascends, but not both) unambiguously convey the harsh and disturbing nature of the
films conflict. The sense of balance contained within the shape of Motif III suggests
a more subtle emotion which seems appropriate given its initial appearance in the
narrative. Bowden has gone to visit one of Cadys victims anticipating that she will
testify against Cady. She refuses though and thus Bowden is left with the realisation
that Cady will remain a free man. Motif III, with its suggestion of increased stability
and melodic direction, capture the fleeting optimism of Bowden; the omnipresence of

20
Roy M. Prendergast, Film Music: A Neglected Art, 2
nd
ed. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1977),
pp. 231-234.
21
Ibid., 234.
the semitone interval, though, is reminiscent of the primary musical ideas. The
evocation of tension and anxiety contained within this interval (which is further
intensified by the use of harmonically uncertain fifth intervals) is ultimately sufficient
to overpower the stability of the melodic line, just as Bowdens hope of peace is
extinguished.
Herrmann introduces a new motif during the climactic scene on the houseboat. It
features a racing violin melody of alternating major thirds (F-Db) in a syncopated
rhythm. The thirds are then transposed up a semitone to F# and D before wavering
between the two sets. This motif is developed further in the remake by Bernstein and
used in multiple cues throughout the film. He maintains the syncopated rhythmic
element but uses the major third interval in a longer ascending sequence.
Figure 7. Major Third Motif in Cape Fear (1991)

Although only a brief cue (no more than 10 seconds long), it best highlights the sense
of irrationality present in Herrmanns scores, a concept discussed by Brown.
22
He
argues that a common feature of Herrmanns scores was to take a musical figure that
is conventional within a Western music framework, something rational, and place it
in a context that renders it irrational.
23
The use of consecutive major thirds is a
specific example of this technique. Regarded as the pillar of stability within the
Western tonal system, the third takes on a completely different meaning when placed
outside the normalcy of the major or minor triad.
24
In an isolated situation, the third
of F-Db would hint at a Db major triad and tonal stability; this idea disintegrates
when the third is placed next to a third a semitone higher and the motif thus reinforces
the dramatic tension of the scene. Although there is negligible evidence to suggest a
direct relationship between the two composers, this technique parallels a moment in
the first movement of Alban Bergs Violin Concerto in which his tone-row is
manipulated to produce four successive bars of diatonic harmonies (Gm-D/F#-Am/E-
E/G#, bars 11-14) before denying the listener the comfort of tonal order.
Elmer Bernstein makes much use of the motifs from Cape Fear (1991) although in
smaller fragments on occasions, a music cue may only last a bar and simply
outline a semitone interval. This possibly reflects the comparative complexity of
Scorseses remake; the various sub-plots create a layered narrative which is
complemented by a segmented score. It is not necessary to discuss Bernsteins use of
Herrmanns motifs in any detail they serve the same purpose as in the original, that
is to emphasise the tension and anxiety that exists in the narrative. Of more interest is
Bernsteins original score that is used in the title sequence.
The flutes open the score with a figure that draws on Herrmanns motif consisting of
juxtaposed major thirds.
Figure 7. Cape Fear (1991) Flute Figure

22
Royal S. Brown, Herrmann, Hitchcock, and the Music of the Irrational, Cinema Journal 21, no. 2
(1982), 17.
23
Ibid., 17.
24
Ibid., 20.

Here, the thirds are presented as diads (as opposed to Herrmanns horizontal thirds)
but the unsettling effect is again reproduced by taking the traditional Western
harmonic device and placing it outside its conventional context. The visual sequence
lists the films credits superimposed on the background of rippling water, whose
presence foreshadows the setting of the climax of the film (the Cape Fear River). The
wavering shape of the flute figure therefore reflects the ripples while also establishing
the psychological tone of the film. The figure is reintroduced later in the sequence
played by tremolo violins with a low-brass counter-melody. [two different keys? Two
different worlds?]
Figure 8. Opening Figure and Counter-Melody

The stark timbral contrast between the harsh sound of the fast tremolo strings and the
full, powerful tone of the brass highlights the instrumental tension in accompaniment
with the existing harmonic tension in the string figure. The bass line does nothing to
achieve a resolution or provide a harmonic foundation if anything, the semitone
intervals that occur between the bass and upper parts heighten the dissonance. The
bass line also hints at the Cape Fear theme; the first bar outlines the first three notes
of the theme before coming to rest in the second bar on the C. This motif leads into a
variation of the Cape Fear theme played by the trombones with the horns and
timpani accenting the F on the first beat of the bar.
Figure 9. Cape Fear Theme Variation

The variation differs only in the fourth note the Gb but still emphasises the
semitone interval which now occurs from C-B and Gb-F (across the barline). More
importantly, the prominent use of the Cape Fear theme, and especially the similar
instrumentation, in the opening sequence acknowledges the musical lineage of the
film, as it were, and pays homage to Herrmann, while still highlighting Bernsteins
impact on the remake.
Bernsteins imprint is apparent in the final melody of the opening sequence. The brass
section play repeated octaves that move, once again, in semitones above and below C.
This idea similarly calls to mind the Cape Fear theme by providing a foundation that
suggests a tonal centre, even if no key is established. Within the brass octaves, the
violins play an ascending, semi-quaver figure that utilizes the Locrian mode
25
on the
tonic notes played by the brass. The Locrian mode is the least used of the modes in
the Western classical system
26
and destabilizes the tonal centre because its tonic
triad is a diminished chord. Thus, the listener (viewer) is presented with a melody in

25
B-B on white notes of the keyboard, or major scale with flattened second, third, fifth, sixth and
seventh degrees.
26
See passages from Shostakovichs Op. 5, No. 1, March; Brittens Death in Venice; and, Debussys
Jeux.
a foreign arrangement which is difficult to relate to the familiar notions of the major
or minor scale. Like the opening flute figure, the shape of the Locrian melody imitates
the rippling water both in its immediate shape, in which each violin ascent is felt as a
surge that runs through the brass framework, and in its wider structure in which the
tonal centre of the melody rocks from C to B and back before inverting this
movement and alternating between C and Db . It is of no surprise, therefore, that the
Locrian melody returns when the Bowden family arrives at the Cape Fear River.
All the music examined so far has been non-diagetic music that is situated in the
background of a scene. It is also pertinent to discuss the diagetic music of both films
music that is contained within the scene and heard by the characters. As Mervyn
Cooke notes, both types of music are capable of generating continuity, narrative
momentum and subliminal commentary.
27
Diagetic music faces the added challenge,
though, of being plausible within the world in which it is heard. In other words, the
audience must believe that the characters would realistically hear and respond as such
to that particular music in their world.
The diagetic music in Cape Fear (1962) is confined to a few scenes, most notably
when Bowden meets Cady at the local bar. In the background [of the bar], a small
jazz combo plays an improvised twelve-bar blues in Db, a style of music that is
obviously appropriate for the setting. The music seems innocuous enough, but takes
on greater significance in relation to the narrative. Bowden attempts to pay Cady a
large amount of money so he will leave the town. Bowden is apprehensive and has an
air of desperation about him, having resorted to bribery in order to end his suffering;
Cady, on the other hand, calmly rejects the offer and laughs at Bowden, who is left to
contemplate the though of further psychological trauma. While this tense conversation
unfolds, the musicians continue to play in a laidback and relaxed manner. The music
does not comment on the narrative (as Herrmanns score does); rather it provides a
striking contrast when the two are juxtaposed.
There are two examples of diagetic music in Cape Fear (1991) that deserve mention.
After an argument between Bowden and his wife, his daughter, Danielle, runs into her
room and turns on her stereo, playing Patience by hard-rock band Guns N Roses.
At first it appears to confirm the perceived trend since the 1970s of using popular
music in the place of a classical score to appeal to the Hollywood audiences.
28
The
choice of song, though, seems to have a specific purpose. Taken from their album G
N R Lies, the song was released in 1988 (and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
29
); it is conceivable that a teenage girl would know this song in the present
setting of the film. Furthermore, although the origins of the song are debated, the
lyrics clearly suggest it is about failed relationships in general. Therefore the songs
content links itself to the films narrative: as Cady continues to torment Bowden, the
intra-family relationships deteriorate as was evident in the argument of the preceding
scene.

27
Mervyn Cooke, Film music, in Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/09647
(accessed 6 August, 2010).
28
See Julie Hubbert, Whatever Happened To Great Movie Music?: Cinema Vrit and Hollywood
Film Music of the Early 1970s, American Music 21, no. 2 (2003), pp. 180-213, and (ironically),
Elmer Bernstein, What Ever Happened To Great Movie Music? High Fidelity, New York, July
(1972), pp. 55-58.
29
Billboard, Paitence Guns N Roses, Billboard, from
http://www.billboard.com/charts#/song/guns-n-roses/patience/2137178 (accessed 21 September, 2010).
Finally, when Cady follows Bowden to the airport, he turns on the car radio and after
flicking through several stations settles on Per te dimmenso giubilo, the wedding
march from Donizettis Lucia di Lammermoor. At an elementary level, the upbeat and
jubilant nature of the song reflects Cadys (sadistic) pleasure at the psychological
dominance he has over Bowden. This pleasure is seemingly magnified as the scene
shifts to the airport lounge where Cady continues to watch Bowden; accordingly, the
music takes on a greater presence in the scene as it is transferred from the diagetic
position of the car radio to the non-diagetic position of the films soundtrack. There
are further resonances when the chorus is considered in terms of its place in the opera.
It initially occurs in Act II.ii but is reprised in III.ii immediately before the characters
discover that Lucia has gone mad and killed her groom.
30
The chorus is therefore an
ironic celebration before the gruesome and tragic events of the opera. Evidently, there
is no connection between the marriage aspect of Per te dimmenso giubilo and Cape
Fear. However, the idea of impending madness and murder is common to both texts;
the joyous music, therefore, serves as a darkly humorous contrast to the reality of the
narratives.
One may also comment on the use of classical music as an accompaniment to the
onscreen villainy. This feature is not confined to Cape Fear (1991).
31
One
explanation may be a connection between European music and the continental
(especially Italian) origins of the stereotypical mafia-like criminal. This would hardly
seem satisfactory though in Cape Fear (1991) in which Cady is assumed to be from a
southern American state given his accent.
32
Perhaps a more credible theory is that by
using classical music, generally perceived as a product of high culture, the director
establishes a direct opposition with the immoral and villainous character who is
associated with low culture. A dichotomy is created between the music and the
narrative and consequently, the audience is engaged from this juxtaposition of two
rival ideas or associations.
The work of Bernard Herrmann and Elmer Bernstein is rightly considered to be at the
forefront of film music composition. Although neither mans input into the two
versions of Cape Fear would be regarded as his magnum opus, these scores
demonstrate their composers ability to enter into the world of the film and underpin
the drama and emotional content of the narrative. At a general level this is achieved
through the avoidance of identifiable tonal centres and digression away from Western
harmonic conventions; this idea is further reinforced through the use of structurally
ambiguous motifs and their fragmented repetition throughout the films. Consequently,
the music denies the listener any sense of regularity or predictability, which echoes
and reflects the problems encountered by Bowden and his family at the hands of
Cady. Herrmann stated that it shows vulgaritywhen a director uses music
previously composed.
33
Even if it initially appears innocuous (perhaps even trivial),
the discussion of sourced, diagetic music highlights the important role it can play in
film as a means of complementing and, indeed, enhancing the narrative.

30
For further plot information, see William Ashbrook, Lucia di Lammermoor, in Grove Music
Online, Oxford Music Online, from
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/O004252
(accessed 1 September, 2010).
31
In particular, see Francis Ford Coppolas The Godfather (1972) and Martin Scorseses The Departed
(2006) which also draws material from Lucia di Lammermoor.
32
Audiences may take into account the actor Robert de Niro and make an unconscious connection
between his name and an Italian origin, though this is a purely speculative idea.
33
Bernard Herrmann quoted in, Smith, A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard
Herrmann, 358.
Smith states that Bernard Herrmanns orchestration, using only flutes, horns and
strings, for Cape Fear (1962) ultimately served as a rehearsal for Torn Curtain in
1966.
34
Such a comment seems to define the place of Herrmanns Cape Fear score in
relation to the rest of his output; that it will likely remain obscured by his more
illustrious compositions and collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock. It therefore is
fitting that Bernstein could later adapt the score for the remake. Bernsteins work
stands as both a tribute to his mentor in the years following his death and a vehicle by
which Herrmanns individual sound could be presented to a new generation of
audiences.

34
Smith, A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann, 252.
Bibliography
Ashbrook, William. Lucia di Lammermoor. In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music
Online. From
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/m
usic/O004252 (accessed 1 September, 2010).
Bernstein, Elmer. Bio. Elmer Bernstein: Biography. Elmer Bernstein Enterprises,
Inc. From http://www.elmerbernstein.com/bio/biography.html (accessed 17 July,
2010).
Bernstein, Elmer. What Ever Happened To Great Movie Music? High Fidelity 22,
no. 7 (July, 1972): 55-58.
Billboard. Paitence Guns N Roses. Billboard. From
http://www.billboard.com/charts#/song/guns-n-roses/patience/2137178 (accessed 21
September, 2010
Brown, Royal S. Herrmann, Hitchcock, and the Music of the Irrational. Cinema
Journal 21, no. 2 (1982): 14-49.
Cook, Page. Bernard Herrmann. Films in Review 18, no. 7 (1967): 398-412.
Cooke, Mervyn. Film music. In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. From
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/m
usic/09647 (accessed 6 August, 2010).
Drabkin, William. Tritone. In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. From
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/m
usic/28403 (accessed 30 July, 2010).
Gjerdingen, Robert. An Experimental Music Theory? In Rethinking Music. Edited
by Nicholas Cook and Mark Everist, 161-170. New York: Oxford University Press,
1999.
Halbwachs, Maurice. The Collective Memory. Translated by Francis J. Ditter, Jr., and
Vida Yazdi Ditter. New York: Harper & Row, 1980.
Hubbert, Julie. Whatever Happened To Great Movie Music?: Cinema Vrit and
Hollywood Film Music of the Early 1970s. American Music 21, no. 2 (2003): 180-
213.
Hyer, Brian. Tonality. In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. From
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/m
usic/28102 (accessed 4 August, 2010).
Kalinak, Kathryn. Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film.
Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992.
Morgan, David. F-C-B-F Spells Fear: Composer Elmer Bernstein and the Scoring
of Cape Fear. Elmer Bernstein: News and Events. Elmer Bernstein Enterprises, Inc.
From http://www.elmerbernstein.com/news/capefear.html (accessed 17 July, 2010).
Prendergast, Roy M. Film Music: A Neglected Art, 2
nd
edition. New York: W.W.
Norton & Co., 1977.
Raksin, David. Composers and the Creative Process. Symposium presented at the
Virginia Festival of American Film, Charlottesville, Virginia, 25 October, 1990.
Reprinted in Kalinak, Kathryn. Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood
Film. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992.
Rosar, William. H. Film music Whats in a name? Journal of Film Music 1, no. 1
(2002): 1-18.
Scruton, Roger. The Aesthetics of Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Smith, Steven C. A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann.
Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991.
Stillwell, Robynn J. Music in Films: A Critical Review of Literature, 1980-1996.
The Journal of Film Music 1, no. 1 (2002): 19-61.
Filmography
Scorsese, Martin. Cape Fear. DVD. 1991. Australasia: Universal Pictures, 2006.
Thompson, J. Lee. Cape Fear. DVD. 1962. Australasia: Universal Pictures, 2003.
Waletzky, Joshua. Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann. VHS. New York: Sony
Music Entertainment Inc., 1992.