Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood by Richard Brooks 1967

I’m a fan of In Cold Blood, the nonfiction novel that Capote wrote about the murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The movie is much the same. It is stark but artful. Brooks shot as much on location as possible, even using the family home to film the murder scenes. The sharp black and white intentionally give this film a documentary feel. The cuts and jumps in time are a great tool for unsettling the viewer and conveying a complicated and bloody story. Robert Blake and Scott Wilson are chilling in their ambivalence to commit crime and murder in pursuit of money. The standout scene is Robert Blake’s confession in prison while awaiting hanging. Truly beautiful and brutal. Also, a stand out score by Quincy Jones.

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