In Cold Blood is the true story of the brutal killing of a Kansas farming family, as based on Truman Capote's book on the subject. The first aspect that you notice is the crisp, black and white cinematography--absolutely beautiful as only Conrad Hall can do. The light work is more impressive than the compositions to me though, which is rare. The shadows and smoking bring to mind film noir, except this movie has subject matter and characters more unflinchingly violent and dark. The plot and characters evolve in subtle nuances and hidden complexities that enrich the film and engage the viewer. The acting was deep, although at times it felt a bit forced and dated. Almost equally magnificent is the fluid editing job. It exudes competence and thematic relevance, both in shot-to-shot cutting and overall structural organization of the film. The dialogue was also great, but like the acting, was sometimes a bit forced and dated.
What hurt this movie most for me was the music. Its placement and simplistic presentation were painful on both the ears and the mind. Sometimes everything was just too blunt and obvious, from character motivations to stylistic decisions. Some parts simply didn't work well within the context of this movie. Also, the film takes a couple liberties with the real-life story that overdramatized it, I felt. What almost ruined the entire film for me was the absolutely unnecessary voice-over narration at the end. Overall though, extremely highly recommended for the exceptional camerawork and editing, the deeply-layered characters and acting, and the tense atmosphere and mood. A stunning achievement.IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0061809/