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Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

avik-basu1889 'In Cold Blood' is a film written and directed by Richard Brooks whose story is based on the non-fiction novel of the same name written by Truman Capote. The story involves two ex-convicts Perry Smith and Richard 'Dick' Hickock played by Robert Blake and Scott Wilson respectively. They hatch up a plan to rob the Clutters, a wealthy family in Kansas. But during the robbery they find that there is no safe filled with cash and in the heat of the moment they end up gruesomely murdering the entire family. The film follows them on the run as the police try their best to get to the bottom of the crime. Now I don't have much idea about the actual crime and the actual people involved with it. So this review will be solely based on my impression of these people from the film which in turn is based on Truman Capote's impression of the events.I loved how the film starts. The director intermixes the scenes involving Perry and Dick along with the scenes showing the Clutters in their home. This works and acts like a foreshadow for the inevitable brutality that is going to follow. I couldn't help but feel a bit heartbroken to see the scenes involving the Clutters already knowing at the back of my mind, their eventual fate. The director hints at the existing financial inequality in society. He underlines the fact that as long as the imbalance in society exists, crimes like this will go on forever and ever and no one can do anything about it. Families and people will continue to remain vulnerable to evil forces borne out of dissatisfaction. Another very important and interesting aspect of the film is the unpredictability of human nature. Richard Brooks does give you hints and indications as to what triggered the two convicts (Perry in particular) to do what they did by giving you some details of their past lives and their childhood, but in the end Brooks wants you to know that some crimes just take place out of nowhere without much explanation to support it. Human beings with unstable minds and unstable psyches can be capable of the ultimate form of evil. Interestingly, this aspect of the unpredictability of crime is also covered in Bennett Miller's 'Foxcatcher'. It's interesting because Bennett Miller is also the director of 'Capote', the film which follows Truman Capote in his quest to acquire more and more information on this murder of the Clutters while he was working on his book 'In Cold Blood' which serves as the source material for the script of this film.I thought the middle act of the film was a bit uninteresting. It had nothing to do with the pace, it just involved scenes that didn't match the quality of the rest of the film. The procedural element of the film is the only thing of the narrative that I wasn't a big fan of and this is what fills up the middle act. The acting is solid from everyone involved, with bits of over acting in some scenes which is expected as we were still in the 60s and over the top acting had still not completely left Hollywood. The direction and screenplay is brilliant. The recreation of the crime scenes was absolutely brilliant. There are some jump-cuts from one scene to another and the transition was seamless. The last 30 minutes of the film is directed meticulously. The music by Quincy Jones basically revolves around elements of jazz and blues. The music in the film is beautiful to listen to on its own, but at times I found it to be a bit jarring and inappropriate in certain scenes and at times a bit too loud. 'In Cold Blood' isn't a perfect film, but it is certainly a good account of a gruesome crime. It is well directed, it has elements of both procedural films as well as road films. It just shows that no matter who you are or what you do, you are always vulnerable. The American Dream is ideal, but it is not beyond the grasps of evil forces.

g-bodyl In Cold Blood is a slow-burn crime drama that some people will adore, and others maybe not so much. I was stuck in the middle, mainly because the pace is excruciating slow. But other than the slow pace, I did find many things to like about the film. I liked the tone of the film and the eerie nature it gives off. Being filmed in black-and-white gives authenticity to the film, which after all is based off the real crime. The location of the movie ties into that eeriness because the film was shot on the site of the actual murder, so we get to see how everything actually happened, or close to it at least. I loved the quiet, semi-jazzy score from Quincy Jones. Also I felt maybe the final half-hour of the film was the best part of the movie.Richard Brook's film is about two men named Perry and Dick who are about to commit a robbery on a Kansas farm based off suspect information. When they realize they were not about to make the big score they had anticipated, they make sure not to keep their victims alive. Now the two men escape and flee to Mexico. But with law enforcement after them, their freedom may be running out.The film is full of nice performances. At the time of release in 1967 and even by today's standard, there are really no big stars. But I felt the cast did a good job. Robert Blake does a solid job as Perry, the man with a conscience and a violent edge. Scott Wilson, more famous for playing Herschel in the Walking Dead television series, does an excellent job as the carefree Dick.Overall, In Cold Blood is a solid crime drama. I felt it could have been much better given its slow, meandering pace, but the film is full of solid performances and it has a killer ending. I also felt intrigued as I learned about the actual crime, based off the research of Truman Capote. It was a very grisly crime, and I'm glad the movie did not skip the details of the crime. I actually thought, based off the first half of the film, that it would not show the crime. If that happened, I would have been thoroughly disappointed. I really like movies based off true stories, which is why I checked this film out. Not an entirely great film, but certainly chilling and enjoyable.My Grade: B-

Fuzzy Wuzzy 1967's In Cold Blood is really quite a remarkable and riveting motion picture in many ways. Even today, nearly 50 years later, this is certainly one unique film-experience that still holds up very well.Impressively filmed in a semi-documentary style, In Cold Blood tells the true-life story of 2 young men who senselessly murder the Clutter family for a large sum of money that was supposed to be hidden in a safe in their Kansas farmhouse.Masterfully directed by Richard Brooks, this compelling picture was based on Truman Capote's book of the same name. The film's exceptional b&w camera-work was done by Conrad Hall.For anyone who's interested in seeing a fine example of first-rate movie-making from the 1960s, I recommend this picture very highly.

SnoopyStyle Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson) are life long criminals. They plan to rob a safe in the Clutter family farm in Holcomb, Kansas. They find no money and massacres the family. They go on the run first intending to get into Mexico. The guys are caught. Police detective Alvin Dewey (John Forsythe) leads the investigation. The duo are interrogated until they confess and then convicted.It's fittingly a black and white movie. It is not colorful or sensationalized, and the tense atmosphere is elevated. These are cold hearted killers. Director Richard Brooks gets nominated for his faithful interpretation of Truman Capote's book. The two leads Robert Blake and Scott Wilson are great especially Blake as the damaged and deranged Perry. The killings are left to the last part of the movie and it's very haunting.