Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV+’s ‘Cape Fear’ brings back Max Cady to our screens, but in a completely different iteration. More than three decades ago, the character was taken on by Robert De Niro, who brought a violent psychopathic spin to it. Now, Javier Bardem presents his own take on the character, exploring his many layers across 10 episodes. Apart from his intimidating yet captivating persona, Max also has a physicality that sets him apart from the crowd. Bardem and the show’s make-up team put a lot of work into creating this version of Max. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Max Cady’s Tattoos are a Representation of Who He Is
In the second episode of ‘Cape Fear,’ a shirtless Max Cady stands in front of Anna Bowden, showing off the tattoos that are inked all over him. His chest, his back, his arms, his face, even the knuckles of his fingers have been covered by symbols and words. All of these tattoos belong entirely to Max Cady, as actor Javier Bardem does not have tattoos in real life. The actor revealed that all of the designs for Max’s inks were well thought out. They are supposed to represent his evolution in prison over the course of seventeen years, like a map that tracks his journey. In their entirety, they are the reflection of who he was before he went to prison and who he is now.
There is a spooky look to some of the designs, including the Grim Reaper with a scythe on his back. But that only shows how much he has contemplated life, death, and revenge over the past decade and a half. The words “Lost” and “Past” on his knuckles are a representation of the life that was taken from him when he was sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Given the weight these words and symbols carry, it was important to present them appropriately. Their placement was also intricately mapped out, and it took about an hour and a half for Bardem in the makeup chair to complete the whole design.
Max Cady’s Distinct Eye Color Reflects His Background
When Javier Bardem took on the role of Max Cady, he thought about the character’s backstory. Where he comes from and what happened in his childhood are important pieces of who he is now. The character was given a distinct parentage, with an American father and a Spanish mother. Bardem leaned into the characteristics Max would inherit from his father, which is where the emerald eye color came into play. While it’s a beautiful color, it appears somewhat off and unsettling because the shades of both eyes differ.
This decision was made following an accident during the trial look for the character. Bardem revealed that he was trying on different lenses to find the ones he would be comfortable wearing throughout filming. One time, by mistake, he put in the wrong contact lenses. There was a slight difference in their sizes, and one was a shade lighter than the other. When the show’s creator, Nick Antosca, saw it, it made sense to him for the character to have those eyes.
They figured that Max wasn’t born with it, but he did have severe damage to his skull and brain during a fight in prison. As they looked into the matter, they discovered that a person’s eyeball could be affected by the injury. The kind of injury that Mac receives means that one side of his face, including his eyes and ears, would be impacted, too. So, they decided to go with it and added a realistic touch to the character’s look, making him appear more grim and menacing.
Read More: Where is Apple TV’s Cape Fear Filmed?
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