Kaltblütig

Am Anfang wirkt es wie eine eisige, fast dokumentarische Thriller-Angelegenheit, bei der uns bis zum Ende von den beiden Hauptfiguren übel sein wird. Aber es ist noch raffinierter. Bösartiger. Es ist nicht so, dass man Perry oder Dick mag. Man hat Gänsehaut und man glaubt ihrer Geschichte. Im Laufe der Zeit habe ich aber so viel über die beiden erfahren, dass ihr Handeln in meinen Augen nicht nur für ihre Opfer tragisch wurde, sondern auch für sie selbst. Und das unvermeidliche Ende brachte definitiv keine Genugtuung, sondern betonte nur die ganze hässlich traurige Ausweglosigkeit. Brrr. (12.11.2023)

A very sparingly made film that relies on the impactful reconstruction of a real, brutal crime. The black and white camera dispassionately captures the perpetrators' narrative, the director uses mere hints where others would exploit the offered possibilities and realistically depict violence to increase attractiveness. It's exactly the kind of film that lingers with the audience for a long time and forces them to contemplate on the subjects of morality, guilt, and punishment. Well cast and acted. Overall impression: 90%. (30.11.2008)

Two years after publication of one of the most fundamental works of American literature came its movie adaptation. And Richard Brooks went at it from the right angle. He probably couldn’t have chosen better actors (he really hit the jackpot with Robert Blake) and in formal terms In Cold Blood is the epitome of perfection. Especially the camerawork and inventive cuts between scenes are delicious to watch. The problem is the running time. While I have no problems with the absolute beginning (up and including the scene before the crime itself) and the second half of the movie (as of gathering the “treasure" in the desert), I have problems with the footage in between. But it’s disturbing even after all these years. Although that is probably more due to the timelessness of Capote’s novel that to the movie itself. Which doesn’t mean at all that I would hesitate in recommending this movie to you. (10.04.2008)

The true story of two young people who massacre a family of four for a few bucks. Thanks to the black-and-white camera, the story feels like a documentary. The recollection of one of the killers about how the crime happened is extremely compelling. The director avoids direct depictions of violence, making do with hints, but these themselves are frightening. Everything is crowned with the final execution scene. Well, it wasn’t very good for my soul. (24.08.2003)

The film could have come off as a cheap criticism of the society that drove the two men to carry out an act, it could have become a throwaway argument about the need for the ultimate punishment, or it could have been just a bland thriller about a heartless crime. However, if that were the case Richard Brooks would need not to direct it so shakily that his film would not be, like Capote's brilliant book, a "mere" non-participatory reconstruction with documentary authenticity, which also earns points in terms of the formal aspects (camera, editing). However, despite its apparent detachment, the film ultimately comes across as a pretty solid emotional wrench that evokes neither pity nor sympathy, but instead a cold sense of satisfaction, albeit one that is somewhat crippled. (05.04.2007)