In Cold Blood (1967)
In Cold Blood is such a classic, Hollywood has not only turned it into a movie and a miniseries, but has also made two other movies about Truman Capote writing the book. It’s supposedly responsible for the entire genre of true crime, but is that really a good thing? Why do we need to “understand” criminals and learn every disturbing detail about real horrors that have happened to innocent victims? Why should appalling violence be turned into entertainment, that make people ask each other, “Have you read/watched the one about the serial killer who wore polka dots?” I find it upsetting and frightening that audiences derive pleasure and enjoyment from these events.
In any case, millions of people disagree with me and like the true crime genre. If you are a fan, you can’t think of missing the one that started it all. Filmed in black and white during a time when most movies had switched to Technicolor, it had a very chilling feel to it. Director Richard Brooks struck a nerve when he followed the two friends, Scott Wilson and Robert Blake, as they drifted and hitchhiked to the small town of their victims. It didn’t feel as detached as a documentary, but instead, as though the two young men were bringing the audience along on a secret plan. It felt very voyeuristic, which was the point. Brooks framed his scenes well and guided his actors to give excellent performances. It’d be pretty impossible to trust Wilson in another movie; I’m just glad I’d seen him as the mechanic in The Great Gatsby first.
There’s a terribly creepy scene when the two boys are in the car, planning to kill the man who was naïve enough to pick them up as hitchhikers. Blake is shown to have anguish on his face, but Wilson yammers on to their victim, telling jokes and stories. They plan to strangle him with a belt buckle, and much like the famous coin-toss scene in No Country for Old Men, every time they stroke the belt in the backseat, the audience cringes. Wilson ends the scene by telling the off-color and cold-blooded (pun intended) joke: “What’s the similarity to a trip to the bathroom and a cemetery? When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go.”
As you know, that’s one of the tame scenes in the film. This disturbing drama shows the entire crime, from start to finish. Gone are the days of the Production Code not glorifying gruesome violence or criminals. We see the murders, we see the capture of the criminals, and we see their punishment. Brooks’s script took a definite angle towards the death penalty, one that felt forced on the audience and almost belligerent. If we don’t agree with his message, we’re even worse than the criminals, he seems to argue.
However, there are lots of folks who look upon In Cold Blood as a masterpiece. I was very disappointed it received all the credit, fame, and accolades when the film Compulsion (a true crime story of two bored pals who commit murder) predated it by six years. Yes, In Cold Blood has very good acting, but so did Compulsion. Once again, Dean Stockwell did it first, and once again, no one remembers it. (He made a better version of Splendor in the Grass four years before Warren Beatty did.)
In the supporting cast, John Forsythe plays the lead detective on the case. Will Geer is the prosecutor, and Jeff Corey plays Wilson’s father; while Corey only has one scene, it’s a very realistically acted one. You feel like you’re eavesdropping and really watching a father’s reaction of what his son has done. Paul Stewart, another veteran character actor, plays the reporter following the story. He has lots of “message dialogue” to deliver, and if you like what he has to say, you’ll really like him in this movie. Use your own judgment when wondering whether or not to rent this one. If you don’t like true crime but feel pressured to because it’s a classic, forget about it. If you like the genre, absolutely watch it.
Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and upsetting content, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "YT Episodes" for posting!
More Jeff Corey movies here!
In any case, millions of people disagree with me and like the true crime genre. If you are a fan, you can’t think of missing the one that started it all. Filmed in black and white during a time when most movies had switched to Technicolor, it had a very chilling feel to it. Director Richard Brooks struck a nerve when he followed the two friends, Scott Wilson and Robert Blake, as they drifted and hitchhiked to the small town of their victims. It didn’t feel as detached as a documentary, but instead, as though the two young men were bringing the audience along on a secret plan. It felt very voyeuristic, which was the point. Brooks framed his scenes well and guided his actors to give excellent performances. It’d be pretty impossible to trust Wilson in another movie; I’m just glad I’d seen him as the mechanic in The Great Gatsby first.
There’s a terribly creepy scene when the two boys are in the car, planning to kill the man who was naïve enough to pick them up as hitchhikers. Blake is shown to have anguish on his face, but Wilson yammers on to their victim, telling jokes and stories. They plan to strangle him with a belt buckle, and much like the famous coin-toss scene in No Country for Old Men, every time they stroke the belt in the backseat, the audience cringes. Wilson ends the scene by telling the off-color and cold-blooded (pun intended) joke: “What’s the similarity to a trip to the bathroom and a cemetery? When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go.”
As you know, that’s one of the tame scenes in the film. This disturbing drama shows the entire crime, from start to finish. Gone are the days of the Production Code not glorifying gruesome violence or criminals. We see the murders, we see the capture of the criminals, and we see their punishment. Brooks’s script took a definite angle towards the death penalty, one that felt forced on the audience and almost belligerent. If we don’t agree with his message, we’re even worse than the criminals, he seems to argue.
However, there are lots of folks who look upon In Cold Blood as a masterpiece. I was very disappointed it received all the credit, fame, and accolades when the film Compulsion (a true crime story of two bored pals who commit murder) predated it by six years. Yes, In Cold Blood has very good acting, but so did Compulsion. Once again, Dean Stockwell did it first, and once again, no one remembers it. (He made a better version of Splendor in the Grass four years before Warren Beatty did.)
In the supporting cast, John Forsythe plays the lead detective on the case. Will Geer is the prosecutor, and Jeff Corey plays Wilson’s father; while Corey only has one scene, it’s a very realistically acted one. You feel like you’re eavesdropping and really watching a father’s reaction of what his son has done. Paul Stewart, another veteran character actor, plays the reporter following the story. He has lots of “message dialogue” to deliver, and if you like what he has to say, you’ll really like him in this movie. Use your own judgment when wondering whether or not to rent this one. If you don’t like true crime but feel pressured to because it’s a classic, forget about it. If you like the genre, absolutely watch it.
Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence and upsetting content, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "YT Episodes" for posting!
More Jeff Corey movies here!