It's not the work of perfection that the "novel" is, but it's still an excellent, moving, and adept adaptation. The narrative plays out nicely, two stories (those of the murderers and the police after them) traveling along parallel paths until they finally meet towards the end. The black-and-white cinematography is perfect for this material, with the characters moving in and out of shadows.

The movie adaptation of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood joined a contemporary wave of dramas centering on murdering scumbags as their protagonists, along with Bonnie and Clyde, Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, the Brazilian The Red Light Bandit, etc. In Cold Blood is pretty slick and solid in every way, but at no point does it rise to real greatness.

"One of the most creditable true-crime films ever made."

Overwrought, verging on hokum. All the hammy match cuts and so forth. But the last 45 minutes or so is very good, including the re-enactment of the crime (which I didn't even think we were going to see, a la Reservoir Dogs). And all the cussin' and stuff was fun too--and I suppose pushed the envelope back then. And lot of well-known faces in cameos too. The two leads were very good--especially Scott Wilson; and I guess nobody thought of Blake as one of the Little Rascals again after this.

A well-done thrilling screen adaption of the classic crime novel by Truman Capote. The cinematography with it's fast cuts and the film score gives you the creeps and I highly recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the book.

I don't know why, but for some reason this film never gets a nod for being one of the best films of the 1960's. It's story is based upon Truman Capote's best seller about the Clutter family massacre in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Almost everything about this film is first rate, the acting, screenplay, music score by Quincy Jones and most important of all, Conrad Hall atmospheric black & white cinematography.

A bit long.

A dark, nihilistic character study as well as an atmospheric film noir: "In Cold Blood" is excellent in all fronts. The portrait of the killers is built gradually and with minor dramatic explosions throughout the film's first two thirds (but in an extremely interesting manner), until the final 30' minutes pack an emotional wallop and offer food for thought aplenty. Brooks' direction and screenwriting are subtle but powerful, the acting strong and the cinematography haunting.

Nice Movie

Chilling and atmospheric. A classic of the true crime genre.

Intense. Maybe too intense. Very well photographed.

The last 40 minutes are just perfect!

This surprised me in a lot of ways. For one thing, I thought it was made in the 50's (shows how much I knew about the case, huh?). I didn't expect something so modern, so... artsy, for lack of a better word. Very stark images and interesting use of flashback/fantasy sequences, and of course Quincy Jones' jazzy score. The psychology is a bit annoying, but they don't overdo it. Excellent film.

In Cold Blood has an eeriness to it that most films fail at trying to accomplish. Robert Blake and Scott Wilson both play their roles perfectly and are simply two of the coolest guys I have ever watched in a movie. Both of them pull off the "not caring" attitude great, and both make it seem like what they were doing was totally logical. This is what gives the film such an intense feeling of passion for money, greed, and hate towards others, and how quickly situations can escalate.

The semi-documentary style is impressive, and Conrad Hall’s B&W cinematography is excellent. The film rises or falls on the talents of Robert Blake and Scott Wilson, both of whom deliver. I wasn't convinced by the psychological overlay that attempts to explain the killers. Nonetheless, the acting of the leads, and the vérité feel of the picture, raise it to a high level.

New Hollywood crime film with great jazzy score, stark B&W cinematography, creative editing and some powerful acting. Story itself ain't as interesting and powerful as I have expected.