Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Truman Capote’s career-defining “nonfiction novel” In Cold Blood recounted with fastidious nuance a violent crime that shocked America. Absent Capote’s masterful prose, the movie adaptation gives us a precise chronicle of the events with laudable authenticity. But under the inspired guidance of director/screenwriter Richard Brooks, the film goes beyond rote police procedural, introducing us to killers Perry Smith and Dick Hickock as a couple of troubled, down-on-their-luck ex-cons. And when their plan to score some easy money goes terribly wrong, matters take a much darker turn. Brilliantly acted, shot, and edited, In Cold Blood exposes a harsh reality that many would rather not see, and it reminds us that great books can indeed become great movies when the cinematic version is bold enough to take on a life of its own.

The new 4K transfer/restoration from the original camera negative does justice to Conrad Hall’s stark, evocative cinematography with its crisp 2.35:1 image. Much of the tale is told at night, and the blacks are consistently inky and deep. The ubiquitous use of bleak grays, for a bleak world, is just as striking. The faintest amalgamation of film grain and video noise marks the nigh-perfect picture. Any other issues that I noticed were inherent limitations of the original focus or rear- projection or other filmmaking techniques of the time.

Somewhat surprisingly for a Criterion release, the modern 5.1- channel DTS-HD Master Audio remix is the only audio option for this 1967 movie. The surround exploitation is subtle, mostly for gentle fill such as the wind all around the house on the night of the murders, and later rain at the prison as Perry and Dick prepare to accept their punishment. Discrete effects are rare, although we can appreciate in one scene that a sudden car horn is located to the left. Quincy Jones’ eclectic, often jazzy score is given room to breathe in this high-resolution remaster. Most notably in the dialogue, dynamic range is mildly but forgivably compressed.

The newly created supplements are a collection of expert interviews about the cinematography, editing, music, and direction. In addition to a 1988 interview with Brooks, the archival extras focus on Capote: two Today show appearances (one with Barbara Walters) plus a documentary short from Albert and Richard Maysles, all almost 50 years old. Taken together, they provide a worthy complement to this chilling true crime classic.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Criterion Collection, 1967
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 135 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Richard Brooks
Starring: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe