In Cold Blood

Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson) are life long criminals. They plan to rob a safe in the Clutter family farm in Holcomb, Kansas. They find no money and massacres the family. They go on the run first intending to get into Mexico. The guys are caught. Police detective Alvin Dewey (John Forsythe) leads the investigation. The duo are interrogated until they confess and then convicted. It's fittingly a black and white movie. It is not colorful or sensationalized, and the tense atmosphere is elevated. These are cold hearted killers. Director Richard Brooks gets nominated for his faithful interpretation of Truman Capote's book. The two leads Robert Blake and Scott Wilson are great especially Blake as the damaged and deranged Perry. The killings are left to the last part of the movie and it's very haunting.

I was a senior in high school in 1967 when I read a article in the May issue of Life magazine about In Cold Blood. On the front cover was a picture of Robert Blake, Truman Capote, and Scott Wilson. The background for the picture was a desolate Kansas wheat field. I can remember to this day reading about how the film was made in the house that the murders occurred, and even that the horse of Nancy Clutter was used in the film. The Life article showed comparisons of the actors and the actual persons. When the movie was released, I could not wait to go see it. This movie is just as haunting today as it was in 1968.I have seen In Cold Blood many times and will probably see it many more times.........one of my favorite movies of all time............When Robert Blake was going through the trial of the murder of his wife, I could not help but think about his role in this movie..........

I've seen a great many films, but 'In Cold Blood' stands alone in a class by itself. It excels in every department. The fact that it contained few big stars helps push it over the top as you pay closer attention to the characters and their story, rather than the name on the marquee. Blake and Wilson turn in stellar performances of the killer duo. The fact that much of the films is filmed in the actual locations where the crime took place, even inside the very house, add additional chills. The black/white photography darkens the mood and the photography is magnificent. There are many outstanding cinematic works out there, but if I could only vote for one to top the list, it would most probably be "In Cold Blood".

It is pretty difficult to add to all the great attributes of this film already posted by other users. I will say that I feel more attention and sympathy should have been paid to the victims. Another thing, I never heard language like this in a 1967 film.