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+--- Thread: In Cold Blood / Capote (/showthread.php?tid=602)
In Cold Blood / Capote - El Gordo - 11-02-2007
A sombre, but beautifully complementary, pair of films. In Cold Blood is the 1967 dramatisation of Capote's book. Harrowing in that noirish way that monochrome often is. Richard Brooks was Oscar-nominated for his direction and screenplay.
I don't know what it is about the Clutter murders that continues to fascinate. This sort of senseless crime had happened before, and continues to happen now. But Capote the writer instantly recognised something else, and we do too. It was the anonymity of the Clutters, their ordinariness and conservatism, their blameless Kansas existence. You get the feeling that if they aren't safe, then none of us are.
The film goes to great lengths to be authentic. The actual house is used in the film, as are the gas station, the cafe and the hardware store where Perry Smith and Hickock bought the rope and tape used in the crime.
Most of the film, as with the book, deals with the characters of the murderers, and seeks explanations that probably don't truly exist. The Clutters deserve most of our sympathy, but at the risk of dragging out an old cliché, you end up feeling that the killers were just victims of another kind.
Capote looks at the same story from a different angle. The author has a vicarious presence -- the personification of our own fascination. It would be tempting to envy him, though you sense that it affected and disturbed him in ways that we don't much fancy. Sublime acting from Philip Seymour Hoffman -- a worthy Oscar winner. Brilliant direction too, that manages to convey the bleakness of the story, from which no one really emerges with much glory, apart from Chris Cooper's Alvin Dewey, the chief investigating officer.
It doesn't add up to a fun-packed evening, but if you can watch both of these films in the same session (starting with the older film), it's well worth it.
Don't be tempted to play your Leonard Cohen records straight afterwards though.
Links --
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061809/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379725/
In Cold Blood / Capote - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 11-02-2007
Thanks for the warning...
In Cold Blood / Capote - El Gordo - 11-02-2007
Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote:Thanks for the warning...
Yes, I remember you saying previously that you're not a crime lover, as it were. I think most people are, though I'm genuinely puzzled by why that should be.
In Cold Blood / Capote - El Gordo - 11-02-2007
A great antidote to the grim Capote movies. I've heard A Mighty Wind described as the Spinal Tap of folk music. The conceit is a modern reunion of various fictional folk bands who were well known in the 60s. But it's really just an excuse to poke fun at that anodyne brand of family-safe folk music that used to be big. Sort of Peter Paul and Mary, but not quite so foul-mouthed and hard-hitting.
The sad fact is that I actually enjoyed the music, all of which was written specially for the film. Anyway, it's a gleeful romp, very funny in places (in a kind of squirmy Woody Allen way). Well worth catching.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310281/
Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310281/trailers-screenplay-E16993-10-2
In Cold Blood / Capote - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 11-02-2007
I'm not much of a Leonard Cohen fan either
In Cold Blood / Capote - Sweder - 12-02-2007
andy Wrote:I've heard A Mighty Wind described as the Spinal Tap of folk music.More than a tenuous link there.
Wind was directed by Christopher Guest, aka Nigel Tufnel in . . . This Is Spinal Tap. Guest co-wrote Tap and has another mockumentary out just now, For Your Consideration, casting his irreverant gaze on the tinseltown madness that is the pre-Oscar nominations. Despite featuring his best mate and next door neighbour Ricky Gervais Consideration was panned by Jonathan Ross but I've yet to hear the Good Doctor's view. Might be worth a look - due on release over here about now.
In Cold Blood / Capote - Sweder - 14-02-2007
On Capote, I see there's another biopic due for release. Ricky Gervais had a pop during his stint at the BAFTAs on Sunday - 'you can never have too many Trueman Capote movies, that's what I say.' He also had a wonderful dig at his old pal Ross, who apparently stole' the hosting gig from that awards hosting legend Stephen Fry. 'At least the Americans know who he is' quipped Gervais.
What little I've heard of the second Capote film suggests a different angle from PSH's oscar-winner, so it may be worth a look when it reaches DVD (which judging by the general lack of publicity for the cinematic release will be any time now).