Like Truman Capote's book on which it is based, In Cold Blood is a reconstruction of true events presented in fiction form. The gripping result is a testament to the power fiction has in shaping emotions and ironically making us sensitive to real events. Taking the book's two murderers as protagonists, the film follows Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson) and Perry Smith (Robert Blake) before and after committing the crime refered-to in the title. The crime in question, however, is not seen until the end (as opposed to the central position it holds in the book), a cinematic choice in line with the escalating nature of narrative fiction. Shown through flashbacks narrated by Perry as he waits on death row, the mass murder of an innocent Kansas family is still brutally shocking today; one can only imagine how it must have been received in its day.
Richard Brooks, who always seems fascinated by socially marginal characters (Blackboard Jungle; Elmer Gantry; The Professionals), is at his best here as he captures real-life social angst and aptly projects it on screen in the form of Dick and Perry, whose portrayals are as vulnerable as they are menacing. Fluidly told through alternations following both criminals and investigators, the film's strongest element is its visuals. Gloriously shot by Conrad Hall, the breathtakingly expressive black-and-white photography not only brilliantly conveys the atmosphere of the crime in general but is also quite reflective of the suggested state of mind experienced by the killers. While it is reinforced by edgy dialogue, exquisite mise-en-scene and convincingly strong performances, In Cold Blood could stand on its images alone, being of the few titles I wouldn't mind watching on mute.
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