In Cold Blood (1967)
Screening as part of the 2025 From Page To Screen film festival
Introduced by novelist and journalist Xan Brooks
Arkansas 1959. Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, two ex-convicts, hatch a plan to rob a wealthy farmer’s family – the Cutters. The robbery goes horribly wrong, resulting in the deaths of the entire family. Truman Capote wrote his celebrated non-fiction novel based on the Cutters’ fate and created a whole new literary genre.
Director Richard Brooks adapted the book, retaining some of Capote’s gay subtext, and, aspiring to a documentary aesthetic, cast two unknown actors, Robert Blake and Scott Wilson, in the lead roles. Filmed in black and white widescreen on location in Arkansas and partly in the Cutters’ actual house, the film’s dark, menacing and gripping narrative is enhanced by the remarkable performances of Blake and Wilson.
Dir. Richard Brooks, USA 1967, 135 mins. With Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe, Paul Stewart.
Certificate 15
Gain deeper insight into the film with our curator, Andrew Chater, as he explores its themes, significance, and creative process. Watch the video below to hear his expert perspective.
Dates & Tickets
| Date | Time | Ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 25 April, 2025 | 11:00am | Buy Tickets |
Reviews
In its dark shadows, the film reeks authenticity, because it was shot in the house, courtroom and prison where the events took place. The camera pokes deep into the psyche of the two killers: strange, disturbed, war damaged and radiating homosexual undercurrents.
A missing link between Hitchcock’s 'Rope' (1948) and 'Psycho' (1960).