"OUT OF THE PAST: THE BEST FROM CINEMA RETRO'S ARCHIVES"

“A STUDY OF DARKNESS”

By Raymond Benson

One of the more controversial motion pictures to emerge out of what film historians call “New Hollywood” was In Cold Blood, which was released to theaters “for mature audiences only.” The New Hollywood movement began around 1966, when the Production Code finally started to collapse (and before the movie ratings were instituted) and studios commenced allowing auteur filmmakers to do whatever the hell they wanted. The year 1967 was especially a groundbreaking one with the release of such “adult” fare as Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, and In Cold Blood.

In Cold Blood is based on the “non-fiction novel” by Truman Capote about the true crime of 1959 in which an innocent family of four in Kansas were murdered by two ex-cons who believed there was $10,000 hidden in a safe in the house (there wasn’t). Capote spent several years writing the book, interviewing law enforcement men involved in the case, as well as the two killers themselves—Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. The accused were eventually executed in 1965. In Cold Blood turned out to be, along with Vincent Bugliosi’s Helter Skelter, one of the two most successful true crime books ever published.

Richard Brooks was a Hollywood veteran who had been working in the industry since before World War II. In the 1950s, he made a name for himself as a writer/director, especially as an adapter of previously existing material. He had won an Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Elmer Gantry (1960) and had brought to the screen other acclaimed pictures such as Blackboard Jungle (1955), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and The Professionals (1966). Brooks received Oscar nominations for both Director and Adapted Screenplay for In Cold Blood.

Deliberately filmed in black and white at a time when most movies were in color, the picture is a stark, dark, and ultra-realistic depiction of two psychologically-damaged men, brilliantly portrayed by Robert Blake as Smith and Scott Wilson as Hickock. Brooks’ reasoning to film in black and white was that “documentaries were usually in black and white” and he wanted that true-to-life feel. Conrad Hall, the director of photography, used a palette of extreme blacks and harsh whites to achieve a higher than usual contrast (Hall was also nominated for an Oscar). This served to emphasize the darkness that resided in these two men’s souls.

In Cold Blood is a tough picture to watch. It’s very disturbing, even today. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its rewards. As a study of darkness, and a display of virtuoso filmmaking, it’s easily one of the better motion pictures of that decade. Brooks considered it to be the best film he ever made, and he’s probably right.

The movie is very faithful to the book with a few minor exceptions, such as the addition of a reporter character who provides some voice-over narration, and the complete elimination of the trial. The only scene from the trial in the film is the prosecutor’s closing argument for the death penalty. Oddly, one figure is totally absent from the movie, and that is Truman Capote himself. As shown in the recent pictures, Capote (2005) and Infamous (2006), the author inserted himself into the convicted men’s incarcerated lives on an intimate level. (It is highly recommended that after viewing In Cold Blood, one might want to take a look at Douglas McGrath’s Infamous, an often overlooked and underrated biopic on Capote that deals closely with the author’s relationship with Perry Smith, who in this case is played by none other than Daniel Craig!).

Many have said that In Cold Blood is a statement against the death penalty, but in many ways, it’s also the opposite. While Brooks does a great job in evoking some sympathy for the killers by portraying the hard life Perry had as a child and other circumstances that brought the two killers to commit murder, it’s also difficult not to side with the jury. The Clutter family—the victims—are presented in such a compassionate light that, in the end—at least for this viewer—the verdict makes complete sense.

The Criterion Collection disc presents a new 4K digital restoration with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack (and the jazz score is by Quincy Jones—also nominated for an Oscar!). Visually, the Blu-ray could not be more striking. The abundance of supplements is also impressive. There are new interviews with: a) Author Daniel K. Daniel on director Brooks, and this is very enlightening; b) Cinematographer John Bailey about DP Conrad Hall and his work; c) Film historian Bobbie O’Steen on the film’s editing; and d) Film historian and jazz critic Gary Giddins about Jones’ score. Vintage interviews include one with Brooks from 1988; one with Capote from 1966 during a visit to the crime scene; and one with Capote from 1967 conducted by Barbara Walters. There is also a short 1966 documentary on Capote directed by Albert and David Maysles. The film’s trailer and an essay by critic Chris Fujiwara in the enclosed booklet rounds out this excellent package.

In Cold Blood is not for the faint-hearted, but it is also hard-hitting, arresting, and brilliantly made. It’s a must for fans of crime drama and those who appreciate a little art with their popcorn.

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