Capote's "In Cold Blood"

The film Capote tells the true story of how Truman Capote's book "In Cold Blood" was researched and written. In 1967, the book was adapted into a film which was known for being unnervingly accurate in its depiction. The book describes the killing of the Clutter family in Holcomb Kansas, which took place 1959. Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Smith were responsible for the murders, and were arrested six weeks after the crime took place. Just after the murders occurred, Truman Capote read an account of what happened in a newspaper in New York. It was there that he decided that this would be the subject of his next book. Little did he know, that the book he was planning on writing would invent a genre of writing and solidify his place in history. Truman and his close friend Nelle Harper Lee rushed down to Kansas shortly after Truman had read the story. Over the next six years Truman would come to know most everyone in Holcomb, and when Dick and Perry were brought in, he got to know them very well too.

Perry believed that Capote had become his friend. They would swap life stories and found that they both had miserable childhoods. With an acquired sense of comfortability, Perry relinquished most every detail of his life and the events that took place in 1959 to Capote. Capote considered Perry to be a "goldmine", and when Dick and Perry's execution date drew near, Capote got them a lawyer who filed an appeal on their behalf. Capote "couldn't bear the thought of losing them too soon." At this point whether or not Capote actually considers Perry a friend is unknown, but as his execution date approached it was apparent that he did.

Capote was a writer, not a journalist. And as such he did not technically have a "code of ethics" to adhere to. The only morals that guided his decisions were his own. Those who employed him were in favor him him getting the story, and i would argue, would be in favor of him using any means necessary to obtain it. Towards the beginning of his investigation into the Clutter murders, Capote only involved himself to the extent necessary to gain the information he needed. As his investigation proceeded his level of involvement increased as information was harder to obtain. This continued until he, himself became part of the story. He was shaping the outcome by organizing lawyers to appeal on Dick and Perry's behalf. From a writing or journalistic perspective, Capote involved himself in the Clutter case to an unhealthy and unethical level. To the extent that there were serious emotional repercussions for Capote after the hanging of the two men.

Capote was played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won best actor for the role. Just after accepting the award Hoffman was involved in a press conference, during which he was asked about Capote.