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In Cold Blood

United States

1967

134 Min
Black and White
2.35:1
English
  • Currently 4.0/5 Stars.
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DIR Richard Brooks

PROD Richard Brooks

SCR Truman Capote, Richard Brooks

DP Conrad L. Hall

CAST Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe, Paul Stewart, Jeff Corey

ED Peter Zinner

MUSIC Quincy Jones

Synopsis

In Cold Blood is Richard Brooks’ stylish and powerful 1967 drama adapted from Truman Capote’s novel about a shocking real-life murder case. This daring cinematic portrait employs flashbacks to fully examine what drives an individual to commit thoughtless and brutal crimes, while using a highly innovative jazz score by Quincy Jones to capture the moody atmosphere. Capote’s own role as researcher-narrator of the young criminals’ intense friendship, fantasies, and troubled lives is effectively brought to the screen in this striking, groundbreaking drama.
Two aimless drifters, Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson), target the home of Kansas businessman Herbert Clutter. After breaking into the house, they find no money, and Smith and Hickock brutally kill the entire Clutter family. They escape the scene of the crime and head for Mexico, but they eventually go back to the States, ultimately returning to Kansas. After being chased for almost a year, the troubled drifters are captured and sentenced to death.

Director

Original

Richard Brooks

After attending Philadelphia’s Temple University, Richard Brooks (1912-1992) labored away as a sports reporter for the Atlantic City Press Union, the Philadelphia Record and the New York World-Telegram. Brooks joined New York radio station WNEW as a staff writer in the late 1930s, then moved on to the NBC network writing pool. After a season as director of New York’s Mill Pond Theatre, Brooks headed to Los Angeles, where he did some more radio writing and broke into films as a scripter of “B” pictures, Maria Montez epics and serials. Following two years’ wartime service with the Marines, Brooks published his first novel, an anti-intolerance effort titled The Brick Foxhole. Brooks was contractually unable to work on the screenplay adaptation of Brick Foxhole (released in 1947 as Crossfire), but found time to pen a brace of additional novels; he also co-wrote Brute Force (1947) and Key Largo (1948). In 1950, Brooks made his directorial debut with MGM’s Crisis, an offbeat political melodrama… read more

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Picture of willythesalesman

willythesalesman

5Jan12

the tear drops on the window... oh god... oh man....

Picture of MARK IS SUSPENDED IN GAFFA

MARK IS SUSPENDED IN GAFFA

2Jan12

Two ex-cons plan the perfect crime and find that crime doesn't pay as much as they thought. It's difficult to know where to begin in praising this amazing motion picture, a veritable landmark of American cinema. It's a disturbing film and offers no easy answers regarding its subject matter. Not sure how relevant it is to my high opinion of the film but I'm anti-capital punishment. Make of that what you will.

Picture of LadyGodard

LadyGodard

21Nov11

El final es lo mejor de la película y las reminiscencias de Perry de su infancia...

Picture of Ben Wheeler

Ben Wheeler

24Oct11

An unimaginative retelling of a Titanic novel. Apart form some iconic photography from Conrad Hall, this adaptation fails to administer the impact of the classic book. Each scene strives to repeat written dialogue and factual information verbatim. The effect makes quite a dull movie. It's less an adaptation and more of a report. It's hastily made and topped with dry, mechanical acting.

  • Picture of MARK IS SUSPENDED IN GAFFA

    MARK IS SUSPENDED IN GAFFA

    2Jan12

    I'm not sure what you mean by "dry, mechanical acting". Both leads were brilliant--they disappeared into their respective parts. Visually, the movie is astounding, the Quincy Jones score is an innovative work, and the final scene packs a wallop. The unsensational approach of the film is what gives it such heft. Masterful cinema.

  • Picture of Musycks

    Musycks

    18May12

    have to agree with Mark Gaffa here, I don't think there's a more faithful transfer of book to screen. I think the 'reportage' aspect is crucial in making the tone work. It's a masterpiece for me.

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It's Own Animal.

By Gnosis on February 2, 2010

I’ve been meaning to see this for 20 years, and finally just did. It has a flavor all it’s own, particularly when compared to similar films of the late 60’s. It’s vulgar, heart-breaking, evil…  read review

Untitled

By Pierlui​gi Puccini on October 23, 2009

Truman Capote’s haunting literary classic gets a masterful transfer to the screen.
Richard Brooks’ carefully thought out writing and direction makes tangible everything the author expressed in…  read review

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