LoginTruman Capote's chilling account of a true story wherein two drifters murder a family has been dramatized many times. But this 1967 version still remains the best to date. I will admit that this film was more powerful than any other thrillers I have ever seen. This film comes with the level of Hitchcock classics and Silence of the Lambs. It's not just chilling, but also incredibly realistic. Conard Hall's Black and White Cinematography gave a stunning look to the film. Brooks direction and a smart screenplay takes us directly inside the minds of the criminals who pulled the trigger. The fact is that we see the whole film through their eyes and although it seem weird that only these two killers are given the emotional weight, but that's not what it looks like. Brooks takes us to the dark side of Human Nature and this attempts takes us too deep.
In Cold Blood is lengthy, a little slow and they stretch the story a little bit, otherwise it would have received a perfect score from me. Nevertheless, this film always works in giving you chills and the story, though you might have heard it countless times, is given a more dark look. This is a good film if you want to have a thrilling weekend, but again this is just my personal opinion. Highly Recommended.
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In Cold Blood Reviews
In Cold Blood review
Posted : 11 years, 11 months ago on 19 May 2012 08:31
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In Cold Blood review
Posted : 12 years, 1 month ago on 14 March 2012 12:00
Todo o trabalho de Richard Brooks é estupendo, desde a adaptação da famosa história de Capote até a sua direção percusora. O começo pode ser até confuso por essa edição rápida, mas ao seu continuar, tudo fica claro, a história é incrivemnete bem contada e os detalhes finais são de deixar sem palavr...
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A potent, powerful narrative
Posted : 16 years ago on 28 April 2008 04:42
"Look at me boy! Take a good look! Cause I'm the last living thing you're ever gonna see!"
Truman Capote painstakingly wrote a non-fiction novel of the true story surrounding the brutal slaughter of a Kansas family in their home. This novel was a literature masterpiece that is still widely acclaimed to this day. The novel was titled In Cold Blood and was the source material for this film of the same name.
The true story that is told in the movie: Perry Smith (Blake) and Dick Hickox (Wilson) were convinced (by Hickox's former cell mate) that a wealthy family in Kansas possessed a safe containing $10,000. Driven by the promise of cash they drove several hundred miles to the home. On November 14, 1959, the two men broke into the Kansas farmhouse belonging to the Clutter family. Failing to find the safe, they killed all four members of the much-respected Clutters.
The film chronicles the lead-up, then the aftermath of the murder. The men are on the run as they travel first to Mexico before returning to the United States where they are eventually caught. The other half of the film tells the story of their conviction and subsequent execution. While we see Perry and Dick on the run we are also shown the other side of the story; the investigation by Kansas Bureau of Investigation (they are called this because the FBI did not approve of the script) as they work to find the identities of the men who committed such a heinous crime.
Some criticism the film received (from dumb audiences) is in relation to the film following the two men who executed a horrendous crime. Why are we supposed to care about them? It's very straightforward - the men are not shown as psychopaths or deranged killers. There is no need. In real life the men were ordinary and real. This makes the film even more chilling; that individually they are two personalities incapable of conceiving the crime. But together they form a third personality that committed the quadruple homicide.
In Cold Blood is a character film that boasts several fine performances. Robert Blake's performance is iconic and flawless. I was immediately engaged in everything he was doing. And the final shot of the movie really hit home. Blake is truly electrifying. The poignancy of his portrayal broke me down to tears. He is matched by an equally superb performance from Scott Wilson as his partner Hickox. Both men never appear to be acting; they are wholly believable and engaging. For a few times during the film I forgot I was watching a movie.
The direction and cinematography assisted in this feeling as well. Using grainy black and white photography almost makes it appear to be archive footage. The film has been tagged as a "semi-documentary" because it frankly feels like a documentary rather than a staged movie. The writer/director Richard Brooks created an unnerving atmosphere. This is definitely one of his best movies. His script was naturalistic and exceptional; even finding space for some sneaky film references (such as Blake talking about The Treasure of the Sierra Madre). Topped off beautifully with a jazzy score courtesy of Quincy Jones. The score really helps to establish the atmosphere as well.
Overall, In Cold Blood is a powerful and compelling experience that tells a truly fascinating story. Like the book, the film is a documentary-style narrative that portrays the characters exactly how they were without being over-the-top or typical Hollywood. In this day and age it's very hard to find a movie as moving and potent as this sublime production. In a nutshell: In Cold Blood cannot be missed at any cost. The story of Capote writing his novel is told in the film Capote.
Truman Capote painstakingly wrote a non-fiction novel of the true story surrounding the brutal slaughter of a Kansas family in their home. This novel was a literature masterpiece that is still widely acclaimed to this day. The novel was titled In Cold Blood and was the source material for this film of the same name.
The true story that is told in the movie: Perry Smith (Blake) and Dick Hickox (Wilson) were convinced (by Hickox's former cell mate) that a wealthy family in Kansas possessed a safe containing $10,000. Driven by the promise of cash they drove several hundred miles to the home. On November 14, 1959, the two men broke into the Kansas farmhouse belonging to the Clutter family. Failing to find the safe, they killed all four members of the much-respected Clutters.
The film chronicles the lead-up, then the aftermath of the murder. The men are on the run as they travel first to Mexico before returning to the United States where they are eventually caught. The other half of the film tells the story of their conviction and subsequent execution. While we see Perry and Dick on the run we are also shown the other side of the story; the investigation by Kansas Bureau of Investigation (they are called this because the FBI did not approve of the script) as they work to find the identities of the men who committed such a heinous crime.
Some criticism the film received (from dumb audiences) is in relation to the film following the two men who executed a horrendous crime. Why are we supposed to care about them? It's very straightforward - the men are not shown as psychopaths or deranged killers. There is no need. In real life the men were ordinary and real. This makes the film even more chilling; that individually they are two personalities incapable of conceiving the crime. But together they form a third personality that committed the quadruple homicide.
In Cold Blood is a character film that boasts several fine performances. Robert Blake's performance is iconic and flawless. I was immediately engaged in everything he was doing. And the final shot of the movie really hit home. Blake is truly electrifying. The poignancy of his portrayal broke me down to tears. He is matched by an equally superb performance from Scott Wilson as his partner Hickox. Both men never appear to be acting; they are wholly believable and engaging. For a few times during the film I forgot I was watching a movie.
The direction and cinematography assisted in this feeling as well. Using grainy black and white photography almost makes it appear to be archive footage. The film has been tagged as a "semi-documentary" because it frankly feels like a documentary rather than a staged movie. The writer/director Richard Brooks created an unnerving atmosphere. This is definitely one of his best movies. His script was naturalistic and exceptional; even finding space for some sneaky film references (such as Blake talking about The Treasure of the Sierra Madre). Topped off beautifully with a jazzy score courtesy of Quincy Jones. The score really helps to establish the atmosphere as well.
Overall, In Cold Blood is a powerful and compelling experience that tells a truly fascinating story. Like the book, the film is a documentary-style narrative that portrays the characters exactly how they were without being over-the-top or typical Hollywood. In this day and age it's very hard to find a movie as moving and potent as this sublime production. In a nutshell: In Cold Blood cannot be missed at any cost. The story of Capote writing his novel is told in the film Capote.
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Fueron 6 los asesinatos a sangre fría
Posted : 17 years ago on 19 April 2007 06:54
Película de Richard Brooks, basada en la famosa novela de Truman Capote, narra como dos jóvenes desarraigados asesinan a los Clutter, una familia típica americana, por un mísero botín de 43 dólares, un transistor y unos prismáticos, y las consecuencias que ello tendrá en sus vidas y en la propia sociedad.
Los 2 asesinos, Dick y Perry, acaban de salir de sus encierros (el primero de la cárcel y el segundo del psiquiátrico) y se proponen desvalijar la caja fuerte que Herbert Clutter tiene en su granja. Lamentablemente la caja no existe y los Clutter serán exterminados.
La película nos muestra el contraste entre la familia de las víctimas, perfectamente estructurada (Herbert en un momento dado tiene que asumir una de las tareas de su hija, que se ha comprometido a ayudar a tanta gente ese día que no da abasto), y las familias de los dos asesinos, apenas simulacros en las que el alcoholismo, la violencia y la marginalidad son caldo de cultivo donde no sabemos si se generan pero si al menos se potencian los desequilibrios mentales de los dos protagonistas.
Dick y Perry consiguen huir a México después de cometer el crimen pero una especie de destino implacable les hará volver a Kansas, donde finalmente son atrapados.
Su condena y posterior ejecución ponen fin a la historia en la que Brooks nos hace reflexionar sobre la naturaleza del crimen y la respuesta que la sociedad da en este tipo de situaciones.
Hay que decir ya que la película es magnífica, en un hermoso blanco y negro que refleja la dualidad de la violencia individual frente a la violencia institucional (la frase no es mía pero me ha parecido que resume perfectamente el fondo de la historia). La adaptación de la novela me gusta, aunque como es lógico deje fuera muchos detalles importantes. Yo la vi la primera vez después de leer el libro y en mi opinión es una buena adaptación, aunque es cierto que verla con el libro ya leído ayuda a llenar esos vacíos que no pueden contarse en dos horas.
Los actores protagonistas realzan la película (especialmente Robert Blake en el papel de Perry, que dota al personaje no solo de una apariencia física tal y como uno se la imagina al leer la novela, sino también de matices de ternura, fragilidad, trastorno mental que nos enseñan la compleja psicología del personaje). Como curiosidad leo en la IMDB que el casting deseado inicialmente era Paul Newman y Steve Mcqueen, que posiblemente hubieran dotado a la película de mayor tirón comercial, pero que dudo que hubieran mejorado el resultado final.
Brooks intentó dotar al film de un rigor absoluto rodando en los mismos escenarios del crimen en que se basa la novela (veremos la casa real de los Clutter, en las fotos de las habitaciones vemos a los auténticos Clutter, la sala del juicio es la autentica, e incluso vemos a 6 de los jurados que dieron su veredicto en la vida real). Los 2 pares de ojos que nos contemplan desde el cartel de la película son los de los auténticos Dick y Perry.
Destaco 2 escenas, la primera la confesión de Perry al cura antes de ser ejecutado, frente a la ventana de la celda. La lluvia reflejada en su rostro cual lágrimas y el relato de su juventud es realmente emocionante. La segunda es el plano final del film, con la sobreimpresión del título de la película, en un claro alegato anti pena de muerte, quizás incluso más acentuado que en la propia novela.
Los 2 asesinos, Dick y Perry, acaban de salir de sus encierros (el primero de la cárcel y el segundo del psiquiátrico) y se proponen desvalijar la caja fuerte que Herbert Clutter tiene en su granja. Lamentablemente la caja no existe y los Clutter serán exterminados.
La película nos muestra el contraste entre la familia de las víctimas, perfectamente estructurada (Herbert en un momento dado tiene que asumir una de las tareas de su hija, que se ha comprometido a ayudar a tanta gente ese día que no da abasto), y las familias de los dos asesinos, apenas simulacros en las que el alcoholismo, la violencia y la marginalidad son caldo de cultivo donde no sabemos si se generan pero si al menos se potencian los desequilibrios mentales de los dos protagonistas.
Dick y Perry consiguen huir a México después de cometer el crimen pero una especie de destino implacable les hará volver a Kansas, donde finalmente son atrapados.
Su condena y posterior ejecución ponen fin a la historia en la que Brooks nos hace reflexionar sobre la naturaleza del crimen y la respuesta que la sociedad da en este tipo de situaciones.
Hay que decir ya que la película es magnífica, en un hermoso blanco y negro que refleja la dualidad de la violencia individual frente a la violencia institucional (la frase no es mía pero me ha parecido que resume perfectamente el fondo de la historia). La adaptación de la novela me gusta, aunque como es lógico deje fuera muchos detalles importantes. Yo la vi la primera vez después de leer el libro y en mi opinión es una buena adaptación, aunque es cierto que verla con el libro ya leído ayuda a llenar esos vacíos que no pueden contarse en dos horas.
Los actores protagonistas realzan la película (especialmente Robert Blake en el papel de Perry, que dota al personaje no solo de una apariencia física tal y como uno se la imagina al leer la novela, sino también de matices de ternura, fragilidad, trastorno mental que nos enseñan la compleja psicología del personaje). Como curiosidad leo en la IMDB que el casting deseado inicialmente era Paul Newman y Steve Mcqueen, que posiblemente hubieran dotado a la película de mayor tirón comercial, pero que dudo que hubieran mejorado el resultado final.
Brooks intentó dotar al film de un rigor absoluto rodando en los mismos escenarios del crimen en que se basa la novela (veremos la casa real de los Clutter, en las fotos de las habitaciones vemos a los auténticos Clutter, la sala del juicio es la autentica, e incluso vemos a 6 de los jurados que dieron su veredicto en la vida real). Los 2 pares de ojos que nos contemplan desde el cartel de la película son los de los auténticos Dick y Perry.
Destaco 2 escenas, la primera la confesión de Perry al cura antes de ser ejecutado, frente a la ventana de la celda. La lluvia reflejada en su rostro cual lágrimas y el relato de su juventud es realmente emocionante. La segunda es el plano final del film, con la sobreimpresión del título de la película, en un claro alegato anti pena de muerte, quizás incluso más acentuado que en la propia novela.
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