In Cold Blood

         Recently, in my journalism class, we read Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, followed by viewings of both the movie "Capote" (starring Philip Seymour Hoffman) and "In Cold Blood" (starring Robert Blake and Scott Wilson). Each portrayal and medium brought to life the killers Dick and Perry as well as the very real crime they committed. What I would like to discuss today is how the combination of the different modes of portrayal and their variations created a well rounded and impressive take on the crime, the book, and the author, Truman Capote.While the book and both movies brought to light interesting aspects not necessarily found in the other, the combination of all three creates a much more in depth look at the story behind the Clutter family murders the writing of In Cold Blood.
         I want to touch on the movie, "In Cold Blood" first because I saw it as a less realistic take on the Clutter murders and the killers than the movie "Capote" and the actual book. While the movie accurately portrayed the crime, I felt like its adaptation from the book left something to be desired. The movie portrayed Perry as the loose cannon, cold blooded killer while Dick seemed to be more of a pleasant, all American boy who just took a wrong turn in life. The movie, "Capote" has the almost opposite take on the characters. While this movie focuses on Capote's experiences with the criminals and police, covering the story, and finally writing the book, it better depicts Perry and Dick.  In Capote, Dick is not so much a charming, charismatic con-man as much as he appears to be a dark, evil criminal, whereas Perry, though he is clearly a criminal, has a softer, intellectual side. This might have to do simply with the different casting choices between each film, but it certainly influenced my perceptions of the characters. While the movie did well content wise in the novel, I feel like it was just too Hollywood-ized in its overall demeanor and the use of various flashbacks to attempt to better understand Perry's character/ enhance the content.
         Not only is In Cold Blood the most important telling of the Clutter family's murder and the subsequent capture and trial of their killers, I am amazed at Capote's ability to remove himself from the plot and its characters. His skill was really brought to light through the movie, "Capote." The movie unearthed the relationship between Capote and the killers and greatly depicted the emotional strain writing the book had on Capote as a human being. The movie also better depicted Capote's relationship with Perry, one of the convicted murderers. I was really surprised at this relationship because it was both caring and manipulative at the same time. On one hand, Capote saw something in Perry and wanted to hear his story; on the other hand, Capote also needed him in order to finish the book. Perry, meanwhile, never truly gauged Capote's manipulative intentions, or at least he didn't want to believe them. "Capote" as a film depicted this relationship really well and gave insight into the ways Capote depicted Dick and Perry in the book. After reading the book, but prior to watching the movie I was surprised at how Capote focused more on Perry's terrible childhood while he stressed Dick's manipulative,con man, and pedophilic nature. After watching the movie, however, it was pretty obvious that Capote cared much more for Perry than Dick. The combination of reading In Cold Blood and then watching "Capote" really gave great depth and insight into the author and the characters Dick and Perry.While I am truly impressed at how Capote managed to remove his own opinions and emotions from writing In Cold Blood, I guess his choices in how he depicted Perry and Dick were his own way of barely implanting his views. Regardless of Capote's impressions, the combination of "Capote" and the book In Cold Blood formulate an eerily truthful and disconcerting take on a piece of literary journalism and its crafting. 
         While the movie "In Cold Blood" does a fair, albeit Hollywood, attempt at depicting Truman Capote's novel, it does not hold a candle to the actual book. Additionally, when the book is combined with the movie, "Capote," the reader and now viewer is given the complete package: the author's experience and emotions as well as the actual events.