Review of In Cold Blood (1967) by Karen — 18 Jan 2010

On November 15, 1959, a peaceable farmer, his wife, and his son and daughter were murdered in the sleepy whistle stop town of Holcomb, Kansas. As homicide goes the Clutter case was particularly gruesome-- a 12 gauge shotgun was the principal murder weapon.

It was the stuff of sober radio broadcasts, grim TV reporters, sensational headlines, and bestselling tell all nonfiction accounts. The latter, IN COLD BLOOD, was the work of journalist-cum-author Truman Capote, who penned a chilling, if verbose, account of the tragedy. What might have been a "mmm, that's terrible" of a Sunday morning's paper was instead immortalized, ostensibly forever.

I read (or rather, heard) the novel on a long Christmas car ride-- not exactly the merriest entertainment, but nonetheless riveting. Painstakingly describing anything with any connection at all to the murder, Capote paints a vivid picture indeed. Naturally, I wanted to see how his portrait of the tragedy matched up with the monochrome filmic one.

The first thing, surprisingly, that I got to thinking of as IN COLD BLOOD started was the sound of it. The film begins with a jazz number, all trombones chuffing and rhythmic thumps and pulses, and intercut-- can I say, masterfully?-- with the squeals of a bus and a train's shriek.

We see a jumble of images and a loose thread of a plot starts to develop-- one man, Perry (on the cover the one in the foreground, also the one most focused on in the movie) has gotten out of jail and, from his feverish uneasiness and too-rapid movements, is expecting to meet someone. One collect call later, hopes are dashed and plans are set anew.

Plans, it turns out, that will be the undoing of six lives-- two guilty, four innocent. Perry meets a guy he knew, briefly, behind bars, in anticipation of a newly minted stratagem. The perfect score, buddy Dick assures his worry-prone companion, with an emphasis on the words "no witnesses.".

Behind the camera is a no name director, Richard Brooks, who's entirely credible filmography reveals a number of stage and screen adaptions and tersely written melodramas-- chief among them being the high school classic BLACKBOARD JUNGLE and sizzling Newman vehicle CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF. For a novel adaption, Brooks proves himself a ballsy guy in the direction department. There are plenty of interesting angles and fast edit flourishes, enough to keep the armchair cinematographer well satisfied.

The pacing, criticized in some circles as slow, is indeed that at times-- but in more of a "slow burn" kind of way. On my end, a solid two hour movie is most often a treat, as it provides the opportunity to become invested in the characters and atmosphere of a well made film.

Although the sequence of events, as in the novel, is jumbled up, there seems to be an insinuation that this time, justice will be served, and two guilty men will take a ride on, as Dick glibly terms it, the "big swing." With that in mind, the film is a giant lead-up to the hanging, a chilling scene that is masterfully realized.

Along the way we meet a host of characters-- neighbors, family members, fellow travelers, FBI men, and the Clutters-- a wholesome, well- liked family that sadly, really were murdered. Brooks' depiction of the cold blooded killers is just that, cold, and there are no attempts to defend or glorify the heinous men.

While not all may enjoy the dark IN COLD BLOOD, and it is not necessarily a must see in my mind, it is nevertheless recommended viewing for those so inclined. As a novel adaption, and as a stand alone film, the final product is a chilling true to life account that will stick in your mind, for better or for worse.