Based on the Truman Capote novel of the same name, the story follows the flight and eventual capture of Perry Smith (Robert Blake, LOST HIGHWAY, TV's BERRETA, and most recently the front cover of major tabloids for be charged with the murder of his wife) and Dick Hickcock (Scott Wilson, PEARL HARBOR, IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT) after they slaughter the Clutter family.
Perry is the dreamer of the two killers. He wants to be a Country Western star and dreams of discovering buried treasure. However when it comes to the crime, the reality of the situation seems to wake him out of his often-childlike daze. Hickock is the mastermind behind the crime; the only problem is that he's not very bright. He plans the robbery on a tip he heard in prison and seems to decided on murder as just a matter of fact detail of the crime.
Two parts of the story stick out when watching -- the disillusionment of the killers and the unfolding nature of the investigation. The film's structure is brilliant in how it doesn't show the murders at first, but lets us uncover the evidence along with the police. This pacing adds to the tension of the fugitives' escape because we know how close they are to getting caught. The film also uses wonderful flashbacks to describe the killers' mind-frame and parallels those ideas with the contradictory statements some people give the police.
The execution and plotting is perfect. Director and writer Richard Brooks (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF) deserved his two Oscar nominations for those roles. Put all that together with fellow Oscar nominee Conrad Hall's (AMERICAN BEAUTY, BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID) breathtaking black & white cinematography, one has a truly gripping, moody and magnificent crime drama that sucks you in and challenges your thoughts and emotions along the way.
There is an authenticity that makes the film exactly chilling. Some of this must be due to filming at the actual real life locations, including the Clutter home where the murders took place. The natural and focused performances of leads Blake and Wilson also add to the believability. The realistic dialogue sounds like the way people really talk. The film actually made history as the first American film to use the word shit. Six of the real jurors and the real hangman were cast. Book adaptations and true crime films don't get much better than this, working equally as a fictionalized historical account as well as a nail-biting thriller. I highly recommend this film.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
