There's something really frightening about that final shot of Cady as he drowns, staring hatefully at Sam. It's like only his hatred keeps him alive for a few moments longer.

If Anthony Hopkins had not given such an incredible performance in The Silence Of The Lambs, De Niro would have won the Oscar for this performance.

Even though Sam and his family survived, and Max Cady died, Cady still managed to enact his revenge on them. The PTSD he put them through would last a long time, if not forever.

The tragedy of this character is how Max has turned himself into a man who could probably achieve nearly anything he set his mind to, but he squanders all the possibilities he has given himself in his quest for revenge

Max Cady will out learn you, out think you, out philosophize you and he WILL outlast you!
One of the best films I have seen in a long time.

This film isn't exactly obscure or anything, but I feel like it's somewhat underrated in the Scorsese canon, the DeNiro canon, and the canon of great film villain performances in general.  The movie isn't perfect but I kinda think DeNiro's performance is.

De Niro's most underappreciated performance IMO. No one ever brings this movie up anymore

This guy is a classic villain Robert De Niro played this character to perfection and your analysis is perfect as always.

We need Analysing Evil: Eric Cartman.

That kid has done unspeakable things throughout the series.

“It's not necessary to lay a foul tongue on me my friend. I could get upset. Things could get out of hand. Then in self defense, I could do something to you that you would not like, right here.”

“Sing me the entire score of the HMS pinafore”
“Very well Bart I shall send you to heaven before I send you to HELL”

Was not expecting this one. What a great character. Doesn’t get mentioned enough in general.

Definitely Evil. Despite being an illiterate man at the time of his crimes to being a well learned man with an incredible self education into Law, literature, and philosophy, he could never unlearn the one thing that got him arrested in the first place; Violence is the ultimate conclusion to any problem.

Scarily, Cady could have gotten everything he wanted without breaking a single law. He could have destroyed Bowden's entire life without ever having to resort to violence. He could have easily ruined Bowden's marriage upon discovering his affair and then telling his wife about it earnestly. He could have manipulated his daughter against her parents without resorting to sexual advances. He could have destroyed Bowden's entire law career and got him disbarred by winning his case against Bowden for his misconduct. Just like that he would have destroyed bowden's marriage, his relationship with his daughter, his means of income and career, and by the end of it Bowden himself most likely would have either killed himself or became a shallow husk of a man he once was... and if that wasn't enough for Cady, he still could have chosen to murder Bowen in the end and he still would have lost all the things he held dear in his life before it.

.... but that wasn't enough for Cady.. Instead of just revealing the affair, he seduced, raped, and brutalized the woman Bowden was having an affair with. He openly stalked Bowden and his family with the intent to discomfort and terrorize them. He targeted Bowden's daughter with the intent of not only manipulating her to go against her parents, but most likely to rape and brutalize her as well, which is the same fate he had planned for his wife. He killed a man in Bowden's house with piano wire he stole from Bowden's piano with the intent to frame him for murder and isolate him and his family so he could confront Bowden, then make him watch all the terrible things he had planned for his family before killing him as well. If you look at the philosophies Cady studied in prison, none of these brutal actions seem in any way necessary, and in fact may be in conflict with many of his beliefs, or at least what he says he believes....

But when you get down to it... an uneducated man, or a frighteningly intelligent self educated one, the man was always (and could never be anything but) sadistic, violent, and psychopathic to his very core. True evil, in my opinion.

This is one of my all time favourite movies

De Niro played this part beautifully with such Talent and Passion

Max Cady is one of few characters who have genuinely gripped me with fear. Amazing performance by De Niro.

What makes Max Cady an effective antagonist is that literally anyone can be put into his position, and these types of people do exist among us, waiting for the right moment to strike.

It has always struck me what Max Cady would have done if,  having gone through all his preparation,  he found out that Sam Bowden had passed away anyway just before he was due for release?!  Perhaps cancer or a road traffic accident had claimed him first to deny him all his plans of vengeance.  All that study and work would have been for nothing if his objective was already out of the equation.  I doubt he would focus on his family as,  without Sam as an audience,  there would be no point. The joke would be totally on him.

Analyzing evil: corporate sponsorships.

Homer: “Bartdoyouwantsomebrowniebeforeyougotobed?!” 🔪😂