In Cold Blood
classified 15Please note: This was screened in Sept 2015
In late 1959, the entire Clutter family were brutally murdered in their Kansas farmhouse. Truman Capote was among the journalists who gathered at the scene but, unlike others, he stuck around. In 1966, he published In Cold Blood, one of the most influential books in American history. Richard Brooks' film is a faithful adaptation - but it also does an extraordinary job of creating a work that stands out in its own right.
Gripping from the beginning (some of the scenes are shot in the very house where the murders took place), we follow the two killers, Perry (Robert Blake) and Dick (Scott Wilson) as they travel toward their fateful destination, propelled by a rumour of secret riches, and are later caught then executed by the State. Brooks' blunt, clearheaded and non-sensational approach to the story emphasises the horror of it all (Blake's performance in particular would prove significant in changing American attitudes to the death penalty), and the noirish visuals have been beautifully served by this new restoration. Ageless, all too relevant and darkly powerful - see it on the big screen while you can.